Storm Winds
by CSKazaam
Summary: For two demon hunters hired to investigate a small town, local troubles prove to be signs of a much more terrible force sweeping over the mountains. With death hounding their footsteps, this may turn out to be the last mission they ever see.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **This is the story of how Kaze actually becomes a werewolf. I'm quite proud of it! It's the first story of any real length that I've written, since grade school, anyway. I have tweaked a few things from the original, mainly just in the wording, and added a bit to better develop one of the characters.

* * * * *

**Storm Winds**

**By**

**Kazaam**

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Note: This story takes place three years before Kaze meets Ikiyouyou.

* * * * *

**Prologue**

Silence. Snow seems to have a special type of magic, laying down a soundproof blanket over everything it touches. Nothing stirs; even the trees seem to be unusually still. It is even possible, in spots sheltered from the wind, to actually hear the sound of the softly falling white.

The snow cover tonight is relatively light, though. It's the first snow of the season, and lies wet and cold upon the ground. But it has stopped falling, for the moment. Only a gentle breeze and occasional creak from high up in the pines break the quiet of the night.

Not even the soft footstep of a clawed, wet paw is heard above the deafening silence. Its owner pauses, just inside the shadows at the edge of the tree line, at the top of a hill. A cold, damp nose is raised into the wind. It twitches slightly as it unlocks the night's secrets. Pointed ears flick back and forth, intent on capturing the smallest sound. Finally, after a moment's pause, the creature gracefully moves forward into the moonlight.

The soft radiance shines off pure silver-white fur, creating a faint aura of light around the creature. A wolf-like head is tilted slightly upwards, still questing for information, as deep, glittering emerald eyes scour the pale landscape below. The wolf slowly raises up on two well-muscled back legs, long, thick neck fur blowing gently back in the wind. It shifts its weight forward, balanced by a flowing tail, its two furred, human-like arms held in a relaxed position. Muscles ripple, visible even under the thick fur. The glint of silver reveals large, sharply curved talons at the end of each finger.

This werewolf, or so a human would call it, is remarkable among its kind. Standing head and shoulders above the rest of its brethren, its strength and power eclipses even the toughest and most long-lived of its kin. Cunning intelligence sparking from deep within its eyes marks a beast that has traveled far and experienced much…perhaps more than a mere mortal could ever comprehend. Even the name "werewolf" would seem to be reserved for a lesser being. This wolf requires a different title…_dai_wolf(1), perhaps, as it is far greater in every aspect than any werewolf could hope to aspire to.

The animal breathes in deeply the night air, before letting loose a great puff of white, which swirls upon itself before dispersing into the darkness, tiny ice crystals sparkling in the night. The moon is full, illuminating a few puffy clouds, low in the sky. It had already snowed earlier that evening, but the wolf knew, from the crisp smell on the breeze, that another snowfall would come later that night.

And now…it is time to move. The wolf barely takes a step forward before it seems to flow down the hillside like quicksilver on a sharpened blade, the steady measured beats of its strong legs effortlessly propelling it forward. The long, shimmering fur on its neck and tail billows in the wind of its passing.

The daiwolf can travel like this for days on end, never tiring, its smooth, easy run carrying it far distances over the course of a single night. Indeed, this is what the wolf now lives for. The endless run, the endless search, for the one place where he might finally find peace…a promised land, perhaps. The run itself brings only a small shadow of tranquility to his otherwise boundless rage.

For not only has he no peer in this world, but also none other that he would call kin. Not any more. So he continues to search, destined to do so until the end of time, his fury at the world growing over the long, solitary years of his existence.

It was not surprising then, that he happened to pick up…followers, occasionally, along his way. Monsters, in appearance similar to himself. Rejected, as he was, and left to wander in the wilderness until they perished, or were killed. He supposed he might have felt some kinship with them, but they were lesser beings, and he honestly didn't really care. They never lasted long, at any rate, either unable to keep up with his relentless pace, or getting themselves slaughtered by humans.

But they would gather near to him, drawn to him, by some power he did not fully understand, whenever he lingered in one area too long. Perhaps they sought safety, perhaps friendship, of a sort. He tolerated their presence, as long as they kept their distance and did not get in his way. And then he would begin the hunt, and they would follow. Stopping for no one and nothing, he would sweep through the landscape, destroying anything that impeded his progress.

He would cut entire swaths through towns, which would incite his wrath simply by existing. And the werewolves that followed him preyed on the remains, until one side or the other were destroyed. It was fortunate that the daiwolf, by his very nature, favored the uninhabited wilderness. And thus, was rarely seen, and even more rarely mentioned…except as a ghost who traveled the mountains.

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**End Prologue**

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1. Daiwolf – Japanese _dai_, meaning great; a Great Wolf; also a play on the word direwolf – as a direwolf is a more terrible form of wolf, so too is a daiwolf a more terrible form of werewolf.


	2. Part I: Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Well, that took a lot longer than I intended to get the second chapter posted! I'll put it down to real life, laziness, and procrastination. But now that I've actually started fixing some parts of the story, the chapters should hopefully come faster!

I'd appreciate any comments about what you like or don't like about the descriptions… Is it too much, just right, or not enough? I do like to describe things, but I don't want to go overboard. Comments about the portrayal of the characters would be welcome, too… I don't want anyone to turn into a Mary Sue, though since this is an original story, I'm not sure that applies here. But if you see anything I could improve, please let me know! Thanks.

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**Part I**

**Chapter One**

* * * * *

"Isn't this great?" Kaze's traveling companion cheerfully declared with a smile in his voice. "How much you wanna bet it'll snow later today?"

"Nothing, Izaak. Your luck's too good for me to ever win against you."

Izaak Leofwine, Kaze's friend and fellow demon-hunter, roughly slung an arm around her shoulders. "Aww, don't be like that. You've got plenty of luck too! How else would you explain having the honor of my friendship?" And he promptly ruffled Kaze's hair.

Growling, Kaze shoved Izaak forcefully to the side. "You're so full of yourself." She strode forward so he couldn't see her failing attempt to smother a grin.

The two demon-hunters had started the day early. It was just after dawn, mist still lingering, and a heavy frost coated the ground and trees. The brilliant golden sunlight shone low through the branches of the pines, reflecting off of the fog and frost and dazzling their eyes. Kaze sucked in a deep breath. The cold, crisp morning air was truly refreshing.

They had gotten a report about a day and a half ago about some type of monster threatening one of the smaller villages up the mountainside. Since they were in the area anyway, just finishing up another quest, they decided to check it out. After all, a demon-hunter in this part of the world couldn't be too picky if he wanted to make a living. And, although chances were they wouldn't acquire any good loot on this assignment, it always paid to take a look. Literally. Their prices were quite fair, too, in Kaze's opinion.

All in all, she couldn't complain much at all about her current state of affairs. At age 18, she was halfway through her fourth year as a demon-hunter. After that mess that had landed her here in the first place (although, together, they had managed to piece together most of what had happened, she still actually remembered only fragments), the only thing to do was to train. And she had. Day in and out. Until she possessed enough skill to put to use (which didn't take long, actually, since she had gotten a very good start with her combat skills back in the States). Then Izaak had taken her on her first mission, and she'd only improved since.

In short, Kaze and Izaak made the best team of demon-hunters this side of the Great Wall. The locals said their speed rivaled that of the demons they fought, and they had more tricks up their sleeves than a sorcerer had spells. But they pretty much had to be that good, if they wanted to survive in their chosen trade. They were the only two students their master had taught in ages, since the old ways were getting scarce and less popular. You really had to make a name for yourself, if you expected to get paid. They had reached the point where they worked almost flawlessly together, and business was only getting better.

But talk about the fun! Of course, there was always the thrill of battle and outwitting their more devious opponents, but they got to _travel_, too! And _that_ was something that Kaze absolutely loved, second only to puzzling out the location and path to a rare piece of treasure, and escaping alive with it in hand. Which they also took plenty of time out to do. In fact, those quests were probably the source of their more dangerous exploits. Indeed, just last year, Kaze had been able to put her extensive lock-picking and thievery skills to the test in the ruins of ancient Egypt, where they had spent quite an action-packed year…

Ah, but she was daydreaming again. Kaze gave her head a quick shake. Back to their current purpose. After getting that report, Izaak and Kaze had immediately set out the following morning, and traveled the backcountry on foot throughout the day. You couldn't really take a vehicle out here, after all, and Izaak had left his motorcycle back home. And the clients from their last job hadn't been grateful enough to lend them a horse either. Kaze sighed. They'd have to work on that. Not that she really minded, though. They'd probably walked…or ran…most of the way around the globe, anyway, and the village in question was only a short distance away. They should arrive by early evening at the latest.

At least they'd remembered to pack warm clothing this time! Kaze glanced out of the corner of her eye at her merry traveling companion. He had lined his usual black dragon-scale vest, boots, and gloves with fur of some kind, either rabbit or fox, and had opted for the thicker, but still slightly loose, off-white long-sleeve shirt and black pants. His broadsword was strapped to his left side, while a massive handgun, appropriately named Divine Retribution(1), hung on the right. Kaze knew that two smaller pistols were concealed under his vest. Finally, a long, heavy, gray-furred cloak completed the attire. Kaze didn't know what animal _that_ had come from, but, if her suspicions were correct, she didn't even want to know how Izaak had managed to get that fur cleaned and tanned properly.

Kaze's garb consisted of the same furred dragon-scale attire (that was one dragon whose demise the two had been plotting for a while). The gloves, however, were fingerless, and a set of sturdy, black bracers were worn snugly on top. She normally wouldn't have bothered with gloves, not feeling the need to keep her hands covered. However, a certain mark on the back of her left hand was rather conspicuous…and she preferred to keep it safely hidden from prying eyes. She also wore black long-sleeved shirt and pants, with her two lightweight, double-edged swords belted in a cross on her back. Various knives were also secured in several places, ready for easy access if she ever found herself without the swords. A reddish-brown cloak was thrown over everything.

Izaak himself stood nearly a full head taller than Kaze's five foot-four inch height. His dark, royal blue eyes never seemed to be without a smile, and his slightly long, unruly black hair seemed to echo his energetic and lively demeanor. A tanned face and ready grin completed the picture of Kaze's best friend and partner in crime.

Kaze was the slightly more cautious and serious of the two, at least upon first glance. But she was much more prone to mischief when it came to stealing priceless artifacts. She also had tanned skin, along with wavy, dark brown, shoulder-length hair, which tended to curl at the ends. A strong, lithe body combined with a pair of calculating, but inquisitive, golden eyes, with just a hint of an oriental slant, gave her a rather striking appearance. She usually wore a set of dark sunglasses to hide the glow of her eyes, but today they were safely stowed away.

Together they made quite a pair: Kaze's seriousness against Izaak's cheerfully optimistic attitude, and her occasional bouts of recklessness balanced by Izaak's experience and unexpectedly strategic mind. And on this mission, they might very well need to put all of that to use. Kaze had a strange sense of foreboding, an expectation of impeding change, and felt that all she could do was sit back and wait for it to happen.

"Hey, kiddo. What did ya think about the description of that monster? Think they were givin' us everything?" Izaak's serious tone seemed to confirm Kaze's doubts.

She shook her head. "I don't know. The details were a little vague. I mean, other than some apparent mischief, which could have been caused by the local pranksters, and two people gone missing in the span of a couple weeks, it doesn't sound like anything really out of the ordinary. They just seem paranoid to me. Did they really put in the effort to investigate?"

Izaak nodded thoughtfully. "I know what you mean. But usually these mountain folk are pretty levelheaded. They'd have to be to live out here in the middle of nowhere without any real emergency services. So why would they panic and send a guy two days out to fetch help? Doesn't make any sense."

"Well if there's more to their story, they certainly didn't feel like sharing. And _that_ doesn't make sense either." Kaze kicked a loose stone as they strode along the path. "The more we know, the better prepared we'll be, and the faster we can get this job done."

"Hmmm."

Kaze glanced back at her friend and slowed down to walk beside him. "You know, you've been awfully quiet lately. One could get the feeling you suspect more than you let on."

"Hmmm. I don't know." He sighed and raised his eyes to stare absently into the distance. "It almost sounds like something that happened a long time ago…" Izaak suddenly looked down at Kaze and threw on a cheerful grin, tossing an arm around her shoulders. "But don't worry! With what little we know, it could be just about anything! And I know we can handle _that_."

"…Only you could be happy about knowing nothing about something," Kaze grumbled.

"Hey, you know what they say. Ignorance is bliss!"

"Moron."

And so the two demon-hunters continued. They'd stop only once for lunch around noon, by which time the frost and mist would have surely disappeared. Until then, though, they'd enjoy their scenic, early morning stroll up the mountainside.

* * * * *

The pair reached the outskirts of the town with a much more somber and watchful attitude. They hadn't yet encountered any apparent reason for the reports they had gotten, and this led them both to be a bit edgy. It wasn't unheard of to have a completely uneventful journey, but with the activity that was supposed to be in this region, and especially with the tendency of minor demons to gravitate toward Kaze in particular, this was extremely unusual.

"Sense anything yet?" asked Izaak, unknowingly speaking in a whisper.

Kaze shook her head a fraction and donned her shades. "No."

Together they strolled at a leisurely pace into town, along the one existing main street, keeping a sharp eye and ear out for anything out of the ordinary. The town, nestled snuggly in a clearing of firs, was located a fair distance up the mountain, and also quite far from any major centers of civilization. In fact, the town itself seemed a little on the backward side: there were few vehicles, all of which had signs of wear and rust. The buildings, too, appeared to have been in use for generations. The light dusting of snow helped to disguise the worst of the flaws, though, and at least they had seen fit to gravel the road rather than leave it a mud trap.

Aside from that, however, the place seemed to be a cozy and peaceful spot to call home. As the sun slowly sunk down the sky and the shadows grew longer, warm, cheery lights were turned on, casting bright golden squares onto the rough, snowy ground. Lively sounds of conversation and laughter came from several of the buildings, especially one in particular, which the hunters took to be the local bar. Several people were hurrying home after a day's work, bundled up against the evening's chill. Not one of them stopped for a chat, but they all cast curious glances at the two visitors.

"Wish that guy'd given us a place to check in. This might end up a bit awkward."

"Yeah," Kaze agreed. "Let's check out the bar first. Someone's bound to know something."

Izaak grinned and rolled his eyes. "No kiddin'. Isn't that, like, Rule #1 of _How to be a Detective_? Wait a sec, I think I have a copy here in my pocket. Lemme check." He stopped and proceeded to pat down the front pockets of his vest.

"_Izaak_," Kaze whispered harshly, and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Sounds like a B-rated movie to me," He chuckled.

"_No_, Izaak, someone's coming."

"Huh?" He looked up. "Oh, right." He grinned sheepishly as a stranger approached. The man sported sandy-brown hair and beard cropped short, and was dressed in an overcoat, which Kaze judged to be a tad too warm for the season. Izaak stepped forward to greet him. "Hey. Nice to meet 'cha."

The man kept his expression carefully guarded, but smiled and extended a hand, which Izaak shook. "Welcome! I presume that you are the help that was sent for…?"

Kaze nodded. "Yes. Demon-hunters, Kaze and Izaak Leofwine," here she inclined her head at her partner, "at your service."

The man heaved a sigh of relief. "Wonderful! It is an honor to meet you." He enthusiastically shook Kaze's hand. "You may call me Nathan. I am the…head of the town – the mayor – I suppose you could say. At least I speak for everyone here." He turned and gestured for them to follow. "Come, Mr. and Mrs. Leofwine! You must be tired from your trip. Allow me to show you where you can get some food and lodging for the duration of your stay."

Kaze blinked. "Wait, what!?" she sputtered. "W-we're not _married_!"

Nathan seemed rather taken aback. "Oh? Excuse me, I had no idea… It's just, from the way you introduced yourself…"

"No. No! He's Izaak Leofwine, and I'm Kaze. Just Kaze and nothing else!" She felt her face turning red from embarrassment, and glanced to the side, only to see Izaak's shoulders shaking as he turned away, trying to stifle his laughter.

The mayor glanced between the two of them. "I see… My apologies." He inclined his head. "Please follow me."

Kaze shot Izaak a glare, which only made him laugh harder, and turned away. "Honestly," she huffed.

The three made their way to the tavern after all; as it turned out, the building housed both that and the local inn. The weathered wooden doors groaned loudly as they entered, evidence of more use than care, and the town head guided the demon-hunters to a sturdy round table in a corner on their immediate right. With a few parting words, he left them to situate themselves, and headed for the counter to order food and drink.

As they took their seats, Kaze covering the interior of the bar from the corner and Izaak to her right covering the door, Kaze carefully surveyed the room. It was rather large for a town as small as this, and rectangular in shape with the door squarely in the center of one of the two wider walls. The bar was directly opposite the door, obviously well stocked, with a pyramid of shot glasses against the wall, and several patrons occupying the stools in the front. A set of swinging doors, backlit by bright yellowish light, just to the right of the counter led to what Kaze surmised was the kitchen.

On the side of the room opposite theirs, a gigantic stone fireplace and a great roaring fire provided much of the heat and light for the room, a welcome change from the bite in the outside air. Soot blackened the smooth hearthstone on the floor in front of the blaze, while a small metal dust pan and brush lay propped up against the rough stonework on the left, and various pokers rested in a wrought iron stand on the right. Even as she watched, the wood in the fire shifted, collapsing a little and throwing sparks, and a man sitting near rose to toss in another log from a pile in the left corner, and stir it up with a rod.

The dancing radiance provided plenty of light for the room up to about the halfway point, giving the varnished wooden tables, chairs, and floor a soft glow. It gradually tapered off, leaving Kaze's side of the room in a comfortable darkness. Old, iron lanterns, bolted onto the walls, were spaced so as to provide just enough firelight to keep the shadows at bay.

Dark red curtains framed large, arched windows on either side of the door. The many panes were made of a thick, textured glass that obscured the view outside and reflected diffused light from the flames. A banistered staircase to the right of the fireplace led upwards, Kaze presumed, to the inn's rooms.

A somewhat pleasant din provided the background noise as voices, thumping chairs, clinking glasses, and clattering silverware blended together. Kaze stared into the fire and let her eyes grow unfocused. It was cozy and warm here, and two straight days of hiking did nothing to avert the oncoming drowsiness.

A figure suddenly intruded into her field of view, startling Kaze from her reverie. It was their guide, flourishing a tray of steaming food and full mugs. He placed everything on the table before taking a seat for himself across from the two. Kaze, roused by the aroma of spiced meat and potatoes, immediately dug in, leaving Izaak to – more politely – question the man while she listened.

Nathan opened up the conversation as they started to eat. "So, what have you heard?"

Izaak shared a glance with Kaze. "About your problem here? Not much of anything, really. Just that you were in need of our help." _Let's see what he explains in his own words._

"Ah." He looked briefly down at his plate before raising his eyes to stare directly into Izaak's. "What I say here, and what happens here _must_ remain confidential. Do you understand? We can't risk word getting out to the other towns in this area."

"…Ookay… Why is that, exactly?"

"We have a certain…reputation to keep, you see. We live in such closed communities but the towns trade with one another and rely on each other for aid in difficult times. If they knew what was going on…that we weren't able to take care of it ourselves or that it happened in the first place…it might…" he paused, searching for the right words, "_sabotage_ the delicate working relationship we have built. We could lose our status as one of the primary towns in this area."

"…Worried about causing a panic?"

Nathan sighed. "That too."

"I see. Well, we'll do our best." And here Izaak pointed his fork across the table at the man. "But you've got to tell us _everything_ you know about the situation here. We don't like bein' kept in the dark like this. We could have come prepared, guns blazin', if you know what I mean."

"…Aren't you demon-hunters _always_ supposed to be prepared?"

Izaak was silent for a moment. Then he waved a hand. "Ya, but that's beside the point." He resumed eating. "What I'm gettin' at is that you hindered our operations here, yet you still expect us to eliminate whatever your problem is, plus all this hush-hush nonsense? _That's _gonna cost you extra."

The mayor nodded and pushed his plate to the side, finished for now. "I expected as much. And I'm fully prepared to give you all the town can spare." He made a vague gesture at the food and building. "Room and board included, of course."

Kaze, finished eating by this point, leaned casually back in the chair while Izaak raised his mug for a drink. "So. What's the problem, then?"

Their host leaned forward. He raised his hands slightly and opened his mouth to say something, but then apparently thought better of it. Lacing his fingers together atop the table, he decided to take the direct approach. "_Werewolves_."

Kaze's friend choked on his drink and set it down with a clunk, coughing. "Excuse me?"

"Werewolves. We've had an outbreak of the disease; we don't know where it's coming from or what started it, but it needs to be stopped. Two people have gone missing. One – the first one – we aren't sure but we think…that is, there may be evidence that…that he was killed." Nathan swallowed. "Violently." He raised his hands as Kaze started to comment. "Yes, yes, I know. It could have been a wolf or a bear or…something. But the signs were kind of strange…but it was hard to tell too, because the tracks were mangled beyond identification."

Izaak nodded solemnly. "Go on. And the second person?"

"The second person…just disappeared. Signs of a struggle near the barn, but other than that, not much." He shuddered. "I am afraid…I am afraid, more, of what may have happened to _him_."

There was a pause in the conversation as everyone considered Nathan's story. Then Izaak spoke up. "Ya know, I understand your concern, completely, but that's really not much evidence to go on. Surely you can see my point? There's no reason why you all should've jumped to this conclusion and summoned us here…" Izaak scooted his chair back and stood up, Kaze likewise. "We'll just charge you the standard fee for travelin', so ya won't be out much," he continued. "We'll stay the night and head out tomorrow morning."

"No, wait! There have also been other things…things – animals – disappearing…sightings, too, of what several villagers say is a large wolf-like creature… We're _quite_ positive. Don't…don't leave, please! Please, can't you just take a look around?" he pleaded, with growing panic.

Izaak sighed and looked at Kaze for confirmation. She shrugged. _Why not?_

"Alright. Investigation does count as a complete mission, though, so we _are_ charging you full price. Plus the fees we discussed before…"

"Of course, of course…"

"And," here Izaak reached into his pack, bringing out some documents. "We reserve the right to claim any and all items found during this assignment, including anything that may have been previously owned by any known person or entity, living or otherwise…" Izaak placed the papers on the table and smoothed them out. "As stated in this contract. Please read it through and sign here."

Nathan glanced through the contract. Kaze had nearly the entire thing memorized, after all, she and Izaak had written it. Clauses such as: "…not responsible for any damage, collateral or otherwise, that may occur to land, property, or living (or otherwise) entities within the area of operations (or the surrounding area, the extent of which depends upon the exact nature of enemies faced, to be determined at the conclusion of the mission)…"and "…we reserve the right to commandeer any and all items of our choosing belonging to the person, community, or entity hiring us, to be used in a manner such as we see fit, in the pursuance of the goal of this mission (which may change, at our discretion, depending on the nature of the enemies faced and difficulty of the mission)…" were dotted throughout the document. It gave most employers pause; no one ever expected a contract of this sort when hiring demon-hunters. But experience and tales related by some of their peers made it a necessity these days. And since unexpected things often happened, it made sense to cover all the bases. Their reputation was such, too, that most employers knew them to be trustworthy and didn't question the contract. Much.

Kaze sat, tracing idle patterns with a finger in the dark, prominent grain of the walnut table, as she and Izaak waited for the man to finish. Finally, he straightened up from his position over the paper and announced it signed and dated. The two hunters then signed it themselves, and Izaak cast a quick spell of permanency on it. "Always pays to be careful. We've had some problems in the past…" he explained with an apologetic grin.

Nathan waved him off after a moment of surprise at the magic. "…I quite understand. Now, if that is all, please allow me to show you to your room." He called for a serving boy to clean off the table and fetch some extra blankets, then gestured for them to follow. They crossed the room to the opposite corner and climbed the staircase.

* * * * *

_to be continued…_

_

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_

1. Divine Retribution – A name suggested to me by friend and fellow author, Ikiyouyou, to whom I dedicate this footnote of recognition. Let it never be said that I don't give credit where credit is due! XD


	3. Part I: Chapter 2

**Part I**

**Chapter Two**

* * * * *

Kaze dumped her pack at the foot of the single queen-sized bed, which rested against the wall in the center of the square room. The place was modest and small, but comfortably furnished. She turned to Izaak, who, after shutting and bolting the door, had set his pack on the small table near it and started shrugging off his cloak. "Mind telling me what's going on now?" She demanded. "No cocky assurances, no jokes…what is up with you?"

Izaak sighed. He unbuckled his sword and Divine Retribution, propping the blade against the wall behind the door and laying the gun on the floor beside it. Then he crossed the short distance to the bed and sat heavily on its edge. After a short silence he stated, quietly, "My home town was attacked by werewolves."

Kaze's eyes widened. She positioned herself cross-legged on the bed next to him, set her elbow on a knee and propped her chin on her fist, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"A lot of it was destroyed. A lot of people lost their homes and livelihood…a lot of people were killed."

"Your family…?" Kaze ventured.

Izaak shook his head and managed a small, reassuring grin. "My family was fine. Don't worry about that." The smile disappeared. "But others were killed…people I knew. Some I called friends." He glanced down at his hands. "We lost _so_ much…the town was devastated. We rebuilt everything, sure…but it was never the same. I left, soon after, apprenticed myself to our master. It was _that_ that made me decide to become a demon slayer. So that I could make sure nothin' like that ever happened again. I was fourteen at the time."

Kaze was silent for a few moments. Then, quietly, "I never knew."

Izaak snorted. "Of course not! I never felt the need to tell you, didn't want you involved in somethin' that you _didn't_ need to worry about. Besides, it never really came up. We were busy training and fightin' _demons_, not werewolves. Haven't seen hide nor hair of one for _years_!"

It was Kaze's turn to sigh as she digested this new information about her friend. Then she frowned slightly. "So what we were told before about this mission…you _knew_…"

"Yeah. It was sorta similar to how things got started for us. I didn't actually think much of it, initially, but then I remembered how it was…" He shrugged. "Could have been anything, though, really. But I had done some research on my own about werewolves before you came. Learned a _lot_ about them. Everything I could. Spoke to some experts, other hunters…and I came across this legend. It was a story tellin' how, occasionally, these small, isolated towns, here and there, would be attacked and destroyed by large numbers of werewolves. Not in the same area; it'd happened in places scattered all over. But that's _really_ unusual. Werewolves just don't gather together like that. And definitely not for these seemingly _random_ bouts of destruction."

"And that's what happened to your town."

"Yeah. It was really weird. And there's been a rough pattern, time-wise. I wouldn't have thought much about werewolves with the evidence we've got, but it seems to be occurring at just about the right length of time after the last episode…my home…"

Kaze shook her head. "Heh. Great. So we've got an army of werewolves on our hands?"

"_Maybe_. I don't know for sure yet, it may be somethin' _completely_ different." Izaak shrugged again. "We won't know anything else until we investigate some more. I'm not a fan of digging around in the dark, but the villagers still may be hiding something, so I'd rather not have their interference tomorrow." He stood up and stretched, arms over his head. "Why don't we catch some shut-eye? It's only…" He glanced at his watch. "About eight, and we've had a long day. We'll get up just after midnight and take a look around." Turning, he roughly tousled his partner's hair. "Besides, I _saw_ you spacing out at the table earlier!"

She ducked and batted his hands away. "So? That's what you do when you stare into fires!"

"Uh-huh." He smirked.

"Uh-huh is right." She yawned. "Now leave me alone and go to sleep."

* * * * *

The night was quiet and peaceful, wind breezing gently through the towering pines. Branches rustled softly, but were not loud enough to disturb the silence within the dark room. The curtains were drawn together, shutting out most of the outside moonlight, and the only sounds were the faint, regular breathing of the sleeping occupants.

After a while, a light, careful padding came from outside the door, stopping just beyond it. The doorknob was cautiously tried, but abandoned as the door was found to be locked. A moment later, small, metallic clicking noises preluded a quiet _snik_, and the deadbolt slid back. The door opened slowly inwards, letting out a short-lived _creak_ before it came to a halt. A shadowy figure slid through the opening.

It surveyed the interior for a moment, and, finding nothing amiss, stole silently over to the bed. Withdrawing an object from somewhere inside its shirt, it hesitated, pondering the figures under the covers. Then it raised the object above its head. A shaft of moonlight caught the item, revealing it to be a simple, but wickedly sharp dagger. Suddenly, the figure plunged the blade into the nearest form.

Immediately, out of the darkness, a second figure whirled into motion, striking the first and sending it flying to the ground, where it landed with a cry. The tip of a broadsword was placed to its neck, and a voice growled, "Don't. Move."

A lantern flickered into existence, and Izaak shook the match out, setting the light on the table. He leaned back against the door, closing it and crossing his arms. "Well, what do we have here?"

Kaze stood above the intruder, holding him at sword point with Izaak's weapon, the first she had grabbed on her way up from her place at the foot of the bed. She had taken a less direct approach on her attack, wanting to circle around and send him to the floor where he couldn't use the blankets as a possible weapon. The path she had chosen took her to the broadsword, which she grabbed to use.

The intruder, however, turned out to be no more than a boy, now with disheveled brown hair, maybe twelve or thirteen at the most, dressed in simple jeans and a dark green sweater. "Hey, aren't you the serving boy from the tavern?" Izaak asked.

Sure enough. Kaze's eyes narrowed. "Explain yourself."

The boy stared with wide, frightened brown eyes. "Please don't kill me," he whispered.

"Answer the question."

He swallowed. "I just wanted to protect…just…don't kill my brother! Please!"

_Huh?_ Kaze risked a quick, questioning glace back at Izaak, who looked just as bewildered. Strengthening her grip on the sword, she held it closer to the boy's neck. "What?" She demanded.

"It wasn't his fault!" He blurted. "He didn't _do_ anything, not really…he couldn't help himself, mostly, and no one else died, he made sure of that! And everyone else…they don't believe, that's why they called you in…I'm sorry, I just didn't want anything to happen to him! I didn't mean to hurt anyone!" He seemed close to tears now.

"…" Kaze slowly lowered the sword. Izaak came over and helped the boy up. "It's okay, no harm done. We wouldn't be very good demon-hunters if we'd let ourselves be done in that easily, would we? Now why don't 'cha sit down and tell us what's going on? What's wrong with your brother?" Izaak reached the bed and shoved the covers out of the way, revealing pillows underneath. Kaze took a moment to mourn the mauling of the topmost quilt. It had been hand-made, a log cabin design with friendly looking teddy bears spaced over it. She fingered the jagged rip. Maybe it could be repaired…she sighed.

"They didn't tell you?" The boy questioned, as he sat on the bed. "My brother…_he's_ the werewolf. He's the one that's been causing all the trouble, but you can't really blame him! He's just trying to get food to eat…just a few livestock. He doesn't want to kill anybody!"

"Your brother's the werewolf? How do you know?"

"He comes into town occasionally, at night, to visit me. He's hiding out, doesn't want to be caught. Do you know what they'd _do_ to him? They'd kill 'im for sure! That's why you're here…isn't it?"

Kaze shook her head. "We're just here to figure out what's going on. If your brother hasn't done anything, we've no reason to hurt him. But what about the two people who were killed? If it wasn't your brother, than who?"

"I don't know about the first guy, but my brother didn't do it. My brother was the one who 'disappeared.'"

"So there's at least one other werewolf, then. The one who turned your brother," Izaak commented.

"Yeah. I guess so," the boy said sadly.

"Is there any way we could speak to him? Your brother, I mean?"

He hesitated, unsure. "I don't know…I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

"We can't do anything to help if we can't find out more of what's going on," Kaze said.

"…I just…"

At that moment, the door banged open, startling the three. A man entered, gasping for breath. "We need your help…there's been…another death." The boy paled and took in a swift breath. The man glanced at him and frowned once before turning his attention back to the demon-hunters. "Come, quickly!"

* * * * *

The demon-hunters were rushed across town (not that it was very far), along a snow-covered dirt path to an old stone well just beyond the circle of light given off by the few lampposts dotting the streets. The graying wooden roof over the structure had fallen into disrepair and looked about to collapse at any moment. Newer, but still weathered, wooden beams supported the mechanism used for raising and lowering the bucket.

"You guys still use well water here?" Izaak asked as they approached.

"Some of us prefer it. But we've also got a water tower just inside the tree line back there that we pump water from," the man who had fetched them replied.

There was a commotion about the well. Kaze picked out Nathan, the mayor, and the local sheriff, who was trying to shoo off several scared villagers demanding answers. As they neared, the major took notice of them, and spoke a few words to the sheriff. Then he jogged up to meet them. Kaze heard the sheriff ordering the townspeople back to their homes.

"Thank you for coming so quickly!" exclaimed Nathan. "Come, the body's over here."

Kaze turned to the boy who had followed them down here. "Wait here." He nodded, eyes wide.

The mayor led them around the far side of the well, where they could see, now that the villagers were clearing out, what used to be a middle-aged woman, dressed warmly against the chill. It appeared that she had been mauled and then eaten by some type of clawed animal. There wasn't much left, but she was still identifiable. After taking a good look, Kaze began examining the perimeter of the site, while Izaak knelt to inspect the body and the surrounding tracks. He growled in annoyance.

"They've trampled everything!" he said angrily, referring to the villagers. "I can barely make heads or tails of this mess."

"Sorry sir," replied the sheriff. "I did the best I could; only just now got everyone to leave the evidence alone."

Izaak grunted, then muttered under his breath about the incompetence and lack of common sense of these idiots and people in general. He called over to Kaze. "You havin' any luck over there?"

"A little. They didn't get very far out," she said, referring to the villagers. "There're signs of something large moving through the brush and…ah! Looks like some footprints, too."

Izaak got up and walked over to Kaze. She knelt and pointed out the wolf-like prints. They were huge, as wide as both of Kaze's spread hands together, with deep gashes in the ground at the tip of each toe, marking the claws. Izaak studied them intently for a few moments.

"Hmmm. These look like the back feet. I don't see any hands…there!" Izaak shifted to the side. "Here you can see the impression of finger tips. And there's a full palm print over there." He stood up. "Looks like he's keepin' to his feet for the most part, but using his hands occasionally, for support. So…he must be in a gauru form. We'll have to be careful." His eyes narrowed as he considered the evidence more closely. "Wait a minute…" He stalked around in a circular path back towards the well, eyes on the ground. "If you ignore where the villagers came in…it looks like there was another scuffle here, not involving the victim. Yes! There're at least _two_ sets of werewolf tracks, but it's really hard to make out." Kaze and Izaak conversed quietly for a short while longer, before Izaak approached the mayor and sheriff again. He explained their plan, while Kaze took the boy aside.

"Hey, kid…"

"Sean," he said, indignantly. "My name's Sean."

"Sean. Look…we don't know who did this. If it was your brother or…"

The boy quickly shook his head. "_No!_ It's not him, it _couldn't_ be…he wouldn't _do_ something like this…" he trailed off, worried and unsure.

"No, no, of course not…" Jeez, dealing with kids was hard! How did Izaak make it look so easy? "Look, we've got to track down whoever it was, and your brother may be involved…he may be able to help us. But," she hesitated. "I don't know how he'll react if he sees us. I mean, he doesn't know us like he knows you or the other villagers, you understand?" Sean nodded. Kaze took a deep breath. "So…do you have anything, some object maybe, that would help us convince him that we're trying…to help you…or something?"

Sean dropped his eyes and thought for a moment. Then he rummaged around in his pocket. He withdrew an item and flipped open the cover. It was a brass compass attached to a matching chain. "I have this. He gave it to me last summer. I take it everywhere with me. It's got my name engraved on the lid, see?" He pointed.

"May we take it?"

The boy obviously didn't look too pleased at the idea, but he gingerly held it out for Kaze to take. She nodded once and pocketed the item. "Thank you. Now you'd best head back to your home. It's not safe out here anymore. We'll let you know if we learn anything."

He clearly wanted to stay, but turned and ran back into the village. Kaze signaled to Izaak that they were good to go. He bid their hosts farewell, then joined her at the pathway through the undergrowth that appeared to be the creature's means of departure. Then, after one last gaze around the small clearing, they stepped off into the darkness.

* * * * *

_to be continued…_


	4. Part I: Chapter 3

**Part I**

**Chapter Three**

* * * * *

They followed the path through the forest, pausing only once to allow Izaak to change out the bullets in his gun. "Silver bullets," he explained. "More effective. But I've only got fifty, so we'll have to make 'em count."

The trail paralleled the town for most of its length before swerving deeper into the trees. The contrast between the light snow cover and the foliage, aided by the infrequent moonlight shining from above, allowed them to navigate without much difficulty. They didn't want to risk detection by creating their own light, so kept to the shadows and relied on their sense of hearing to provide any forewarning. They traveled silently.

Presently, the pale moonlight failed completely as clouds moved in. The trackers paused, listening. Kaze would have liked to say that it was unusually silent…but it had been that way since the beginning of their trek. She stared intently into the trees outside their path. A branch _snapped_, and Kaze tensed. Izaak cocked his gun, and they waited. After a small eternity, nothing happened, and Kaze's glowing eyes sought out Izaak's ahead of her. He shrugged and they started moving again.

A lesser demon-hunter might have had his nerves frayed by now. But the two were used to extended periods of tense, ominous silence, and so they took it all in stride. They had traveled a fair distance from the village, maybe the better part of a mile, Kaze mused. She was thankful for her warm boots that made the hiking so effortless. The material moved well with the ground and her foot, giving her purchase even on slippery surfaces (aided by the dragon scales that tended to grip the terrain), but also keeping even the sharpest and most uncomfortable rock from bothering her. She doubted the boots would ever have to be replaced, and…

Something large, furry, and _heavy_ slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. She quickly rolled over and kicked as hard as she could up into its midsection. With a loud _whuff_, it was thrown off to the side. It promptly leapt toward her again, arms and claws extended. She somersaulted backwards, a sword appearing in each hand, and sliced upwards as she jumped to her feet. The tip of her right blade caught it in the jaw, splitting it; she brought it around and ducked under its outstretched arms, driving both blades together into the creature's left side, slicing it wide open as she ran swiftly past.

Two loud shots resounded in her ears, and she turned to find that Izaak had blown out the monster's neck. It gave a gurgling screech and clutched at the gaping wound, even as it attempted to charge the gunslinger. A split second later, Izaak had holstered the firearm and drawn his sword. Holding it low and to his right, he raced forward, and swept the weapon diagonally up through the monster's chest. It screamed again, falling onto its back with the force of the blow. Izaak then gripped the sword with both hands above his head and plunged the blade into its skull. It lay still. The wind stirred, and a few snowflakes fluttered down from the sky.

And just like that, it was over. Kaze hadn't even had the chance to start breathing hard. She drew near Izaak and the werewolf. "So that's what a werewolf looks like, huh?" It was bulky and _huge _– _easily_ nine and a half feet tall, maybe even ten, and covered in muscle. It had the appearance of a gray wolf, one with thick, mottled black and tan fur, but its form was that of a human. Curved black claws sprouted from large, human-like hands, and wide, but somewhat flattened, wolf-like feet. A mangled tail lay twisted beneath. It wore no clothes.

Izaak nodded slowly as he stared down at it. "Ya. A gauru form," he answered, somewhat absently. Kaze stopped beside him and looked at the remains of its ruined head and gaping, toothy jaw.

"Don't they transform back when they die?"

"…It takes awhile, sometimes."

"Ah." She glanced at Izaak. He seemed lost in a trance. She nudged him. "Hey. You okay?"

"Hmm?" He shook his head and grinned. "Yeah. Nothin' to worry about. Just lost in memories for a moment there." He started as he suddenly realized something. "Are you alright?" he asked, quickly, concern filling his eyes. "Did he get you anywhere, any bite marks?" He grabbed Kaze's shoulders and started examining her for wounds.

"Izaak, I'm fine!" She broke away. "He barely touched me. Just got knocked to the ground."

Izaak watched her for a moment to make sure, then nodded, convinced. He yanked his broadsword out of the head and wiped the mess off on a relatively clean patch of fur. "Let's go report back, then. With any luck, this'll be the last of our problems."

"'Kay. Let's hope it wasn't Sean's…" A long, loud howl suddenly split the silence. Izaak and Kaze jerked to attention, staring in the direction it came from, further into the night. Several other howls joined it, creating a fierce, wild chorus. A few seconds later they abruptly stopped. The two waited, ears straining in the unexpected stillness. Then, from a greater distance, a single low-pitched tone began, rising in a slow crescendo, gathering intensity until the demon-hunters could feel the sound resonating within them. The vibrations deepened as the music dropped in pitch. Then it ceased. The two stood, entranced by the memory of the sound held in the absolute silence.

As one, the hunters shook themselves out of the spell and launched down the path at full speed. "C'mon!" Izaak shouted, urgently. "We've got to stop them!"

They didn't need any further words to start preparing for the coming battle. Izaak readied a few spells, gun at the ready, while Kaze, less magically inclined, withdrew two glass vials from a pouch on her belt. They ran, Izaak in the lead, Kaze following closely on his heals.

The wind had picked up slightly, and a gentle snowfall had begun. As the two pounded along the trail, footing became slightly treacherous, as the wet, slippery white blurred the outlines of rocks and fallen branches.

Kaze suddenly registered the rapid beats of another set of heavy steps behind them. She risked a glace backward. Then she threw her weight into Izaak. "Duck!" They tumbled to the ground as a black shape sailed over their heads. Izaak had Divine Retribution out, prepared to fire at the werewolf, but realized that it hadn't stopped to attack as it retreated into the darkness ahead of them. He frowned in confusion. "What the-"

"Look!" Kaze grabbed his arm and pointed into the trees to their right. A large, hulking dark shape whipped by, followed by a second. A third passed them on the left.

"What in the world…?"

Realization dawned. "…They don't care about us. They're all heading for something else."

"Another town to destroy?" Izaak growled.

"I don't know." Kaze stood and tugged Izaak to his feet. "Come on!"

Together, they continued down the path once again, being overtaken and passed by the occasional werewolf. After a few more minutes of this, they broke out of the tree line, and were greeted by the sight of several _dozen_ werewolves swarming up the wide expanse of a snowy hill. They were brought to a halt by pure astonishment.

At the top of the hill, a fair distance away, stood the majestic and imposing form of a pure white werewolf, easily the largest they had yet seen. It clearly waited for the arrival of its kindred, yet seemed to remain indifferent to their presence.

Kaze stood, mouth slightly open in amazement, while Izaak looked on grimly. "Izaak…how are we supposed to kill them all?"

"We start with the leader. That one." He nodded at the massive creature. "If we're lucky, the rest will disperse."

Kaze managed a lop-sided grin. "Well, what are we waiting for then?" And she took off, up the hill.

As they made their way through the mob of werewolves, who had begun to mill about on the sides of the hill as their leader showed no inclination to move just yet, they started to be noticed. Heads turned in their direction. Flashing eyes and a collective growl alerted the travelers to their peril.

Werewolves closed in from the sides and behind them. But the two were coordinated as a team, and the werewolves were not. And they knew how to handle great numbers of enemies.

Izaak let loose the spell that he had been charging. Fierce lightning crackled, illuminating Kaze's path and cutting a swath up the hill through their attackers. They were greeted by yelps and howls, the stench of scorched fur and flesh stinging their noses.

A green-tinted vial shattered on the stones beneath Kaze's feet, releasing silvery arcs of light that sliced through the monsters closing in behind Izaak, keeping glinting teeth and claws at bay. The demon-hunters continued upward, untouched, Izaak's waves of lightning and unerring gun blazing a corridor through the wolves, while Kaze's whirling spirit swords kept the stragglers off their backs.

At last, they reached the top of the hill. As they crested the rise, the white wolf glanced over his shoulder and turned as if just registering their presence, but somehow Kaze doubted that he was caught by surprise. A final bout of lightning thundered ahead of her, slamming into the immense creature and laying low the werewolves in an arc surrounding him. The whirling blades spun around the perimeter this created, before spiraling into the center and striking the target from multiple directions in an explosion of light. An angry snarl came from the beast, but it did not appear to be affected by their efforts.

Kaze gaped in surprise. Nothing had worked!? She didn't have time to wonder, however, as Izaak was closing upon her quickly. She knelt and turned to him, signaling. He saw and understood; arriving, he stepped into her cupped hands, and she rose, boosting him high into the air.

Izaak somersaulted once before nearing the peak of his flight, cloak billowing. Then he fired upon the wolf leader, raining silvery doom down upon it. It was struck once in the chest and once in the shoulder, before the creature roared viciously at him. The third bullet was dodged, the fourth, fifth, and sixth were parried with blurring metallic claws, and the seventh barely grazed its thigh. Izaak landed on the opposite side of the wolf, straightened, and fired once straight at its heart. But it ducked low onto all fours, and Kaze jerked to the side barely in time to avoid having her head blown off.

She gave a startled cry. "Izaak!" He had a horrified look on his face, and the gigantic wolf gazed up at him, peeling its lips back into a toothy, evil grin.

The fighters paused for a moment, both humans breathing heavily from their exertions. Kaze had her twin swords at the ready, slightly crouched; Izaak had his firearm pointed up in the air, giving his profile to the enemy. The wolf crouched low, most of his weight centered over his feet, arms extended wide out in front of him, claws deep in the ground, as if to rip the very earth out from under the gunslinger. He studied the man intently, with calculating green eyes.

Wind ruffled the thick, lustrous fur on the wolf's heavily muscled back, and snow swirled around them. He flicked his ears back at Kaze.

She made the first move, intending to cut deep into his hamstrings for a crippling blow. He launched into motion at the same time, whirling up, around, and down, backhanding her _hard_ with his right hand and driving her downwards into the snow. He took a few bullets during the action, before continuing his spin and swiping upwards with his left claw, catching the gun and launching it into the air.

Kaze rolled away and staggered to her feet, momentarily stunned. The wolf turned his upswing into a downward blow upon her friend, but Isaak dodged nimbly out of the way, drawing his broadsword in the same action, allowing it to cut deeply into the passing arm on its way out of the sheath. The female demon-hunter shook off her disorientation and charged toward the beast, leaping and stabbing down with both swords straight into its lower back. The wolf jerked upward in surprise, howling, and tried to reach around to swat her off.

Izaak took advantage of the diversion and dove forward, towards the ground, rolling to carve up and back into the wolf's left hamstring. He succeeded and the wolf collapsed upon that leg, with a pained yelp, catching himself with his claws.

Kaze, now balanced upon the hilt of the rightmost sword, which remained buried in the creature, twisted the other, yanked it free, and plunged it again higher into his back, now straight through the right shoulder blade and out through the chest.

The werewolf gave a mighty bellow and nearly collapsed on the spot. But instead, he managed to surge to his feet. Kaze pulled out her original foothold, hanging on by the sword buried in his shoulder, and attempted to deal a finishing blow through his neck. He narrowed his eyes, ears flattened in pain and fury, and reached over his shoulder to snag the sword hilt and her arm with his claws.

Ripping the blade out, he spun and violently whipped her at her friend. Then he turned away again, and, ignoring his injuries, dropped to all fours and dashed up the mountainside, flinging snow in his haste.

Izaak had attempted to catch Kaze in a way so as to minimize any injuries from the fall, but they still fell hard, tumbling a short ways down the rough slope of the hill, before coming to rest in a tangled sprawl. Kaze groaned and rolled off of him, coughing. "You – _cough_ – you okay?"

"…Yeah," he grunted as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He had a gash in his left shoulder from the near miss with the monster's claw, and several scrapes and bruises from the fall, but nothing too serious. "You?"

"I've seen better days. And worse. Help me bandage this?" She revealed her right arm, which had several deep slices where the werewolf had grabbed her.

"Sure thing." He snatched her hand and pulled her to her feet. "But lets make sure these guys don't try anything funny, first." He inclined his head towards the gathering of werewolves who had just noticed that their leader had abandoned them. A collective cry rose up, and they started swiftly climbing the hill, following in their idol's wake.

The demon-hunters brandished their swords as they were overrun. But, again, they were ignored for the most part. Except for the occasional snap and claw, which they easily parried, they were left alone without any trouble.

The two humans sighed in unison when it was over. "Well," Izaak chuckled. "That was fun."

"Yeah. I guess this means we've got to track that thing down again?"

"Yep." Izaak started back up the hill with the goal in mind of retrieving Retribution. "Don't worry, kiddo. Now that we know what we're facing, it'll be a piece of cake!"

* * * * *

_to be continued…_


	5. Part I: Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Happy New Year everyone, and a late Merry Christmas! I'm hoping to finish getting the remaining chapters revised and uploaded relatively soon, if only because I'm tired of this story sitting around so long, and I've got another story to get up here. Many thanks to all my reviewers! This chapter is for you. ;)

* * * * *

**Part I**

**Chapter Four**

* * * * *

An hour and a half, and a few health potions, later saw the demon-hunters scaling the mountain ridge over which the great werewolf had passed. Another thirty minutes saw them rather recklessly bounding down the steep, opposite side, and sliding into the timberline with a bit of a crash.

They pursued the wolf effortlessly, seeing as how it hadn't bothered to conceal the path of destruction it made through the trees. They dispatched a few infrequent werewolves that made themselves known along the way; the animals appeared to become more restless and aggressive as the night wore on. One had literally gotten the drop on Kaze, but Izaak, ever watchful, neatly beheaded it with ease.

The majority of the werewolves seemed to have disappeared for the moment, though, and this caused some concern in the minds of the hunters. It was possible that they had not been completely successful in tailing their leader, but impossible to say for sure.

The two eventually reached a point, some distance into the grove, where the trail just…stopped. They surveyed the area warily. The night had taken on a bitter chill, and snow now fell heavily, though the trees provided some protection. Kaze shivered.

Wordlessly, they decided to continue onward, all senses alert for any disturbance in the now too familiar silence. Wind howled somewhere beyond the trees, and branches high above them swayed with its force. Several inches of snow now covered the ground.

A whisper of sound reached Kaze's left ear and she glanced quickly to the side, tensing. Nothing. They continued.

A sudden loud _crack_ caused them both to jump, whirling as a large tree limb fell with a muffled _thump_ onto the forest floor. They eyed it suspiciously.

A _whuff_ of air behind Kaze caused her to whirl around. She saw Izaak flat on his back and moved to help him up, when a large, pale blur slammed into her gut, knocking her over as well. They scrambled to get up.

Just as soon as she did so, however, Kaze's legs were knocked out from under her. She rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a set of silver claws slamming into the ground where she had been. She tried to stand, but the monster immediately grabbed her leg and flung her, for the second time that night, at her companion.

He ducked this time, and she managed an awkward flip over his head, righting herself to land less than gracefully behind him. She grunted as her ankle twisted. They faced the danger, only to see that it had vanished again.

A moment later, two sets of roaming eyes quickly spotted a dim, white shape quickly approaching out of the darkness, darting rapidly back and forth. Izaak opened fire, slowly backpedaling to draw even with Kaze. Every shot was successfully dodged, until the beast made a final leap from about thirty feet away. His furred arms and long, wickedly curved claws were extended for rending. A low growl reverberated in his throat and emerald eyes flashed.

A final shot nailed the creature square in the chest and he howled with rage. His momentum still carried him towards the humans, however, and Izaak turned, grabbing Kaze by the arm. "_Run_. We need to get out of the forest. He's playin' with us," he said with urgency.

The colossal wolf came crashing down behind them, but they didn't stop to check if he still moved. Their legs pounded as hard and as fast as they could make them down the forest trail to an unclear goal at the end. Their breathing started to come in ragged gasps, and Kaze fell slightly behind on her throbbing ankle.

Just up ahead, a fallen tree blocked the path. Kaze watched as Izaak gathered himself and made the leap. As he cleared the tree, a giant form appeared in front of him, and a massive paw swatted him to the side, out of the air. Kaze couldn't see where he landed.

"_Izaak_!" The werewolf turned its eyes onto her.

Kaze skidded to a halt, stumbled, caught herself, and tried to dart around the side of the wolf. It moved to head her off and brought both sets of claws crashing down onto the tree, pulverizing it into a million splinters. The female demon-hunter's acrobatic training came in handy however. A powerful leap propelled her skyward, and she flipped, landing neatly in a crouch on a low branch. Quickly, she sprung high into the air again to avoid the snapping jaws and sail over the wolf's head.

The werewolf was having none of this nonsense, however. Catlike, an effortless jump and midair twist brought it above and facing the demon-hunter. Kaze felt a weight slam into her back, bearing her into the ground. The werewolf crouched above her, pinning her down. Then it let loose an enraged snarl and snapped its jaws shut on her spine.

Or tried to, anyway. Instead, it received only a mouthful of pack and cloak. Eyes narrowed in annoyance, the beast straightened on all fours and shook the bundle of cloth and human back and forth. Kaze gave a frightened yell.

The werewolf began to head off down the path with its quarry in tow, but Izaak had other ideas. Vaulting out of the trees from the side, he landed evenly upon the wolf's back and plunged his broadsword squarely between its shoulder blades. Gripping the hilt, he sent a massive current of lightning energy coursing down its length and straight into the creature.

A high-pitched scream split their eardrums as the wolf reared up, caught in the grip of unforgiving electricity. Kaze was dropped and she rolled to the side, swords ready. The magical assault ended, and the werewolf crumpled to the ground. Izaak gave his sword a savage twist and ripped it back out, causing the beast to twitch violently.

Kaze stepped forward to deliver the final blow. Her blade whistled through the air…and was caught in a powerful, clawed grip. Blood trickled down the sides of the weapon, and the werewolf turned baleful jade eyes upon her. She raised her second sword for another strike, but the first was released and the same claw parried her attack.

The werewolf heaved himself up with his other arm, shaking Izaak off, and advanced upon her. Izaak quickly rushed in to her aid, but with the sweep of a long, powerful tail, he was tossed aside.

Claws flicked in at Kaze, coming faster and faster as the werewolf increased his stride. She successfully blocked these, and launched attacks of her own. He, too, parried, and the battle evolved into a strange parody of double swordplay, each opponent wielding two weapons: silvery, sharpened claws on one side, and shining, razor-edged steel on the other.

Kaze, though, was forced to retreat every step, as the blows came faster and stronger. Still, she kept up, but didn't know how long that would last. She imagined that the only thing that had allowed her to continue so long had been the werewolf's already weakened state. Unexpectedly, she lurched backwards out of the forest, and a gust of wind nearly blinded her with snow. She leapt back a few yards to gain space, but the great wolf was there, raining powerful strikes down upon her, which she was now parrying frantically.

Several more steps backwards brought her to the edge of a precipice; she didn't dare risk a look, but she could suddenly _feel_ the chasm yawning open behind her. _Yep_, she thought, _Now would be a great time for a bit of help! Where the heck is Izaak?_

As if hearing her thoughts, a great bolt of electricity, as wide as her fist, impaled the creature. It roared again and broke off its attack, beginning to turn around as silver bullets rained down upon it. Kaze took advantage of this new distraction and drove forward with her blades, forcing the monster back, away from the edge.

Attacked from both sides, the wolf furiously tried to swat its assailants away. As it raised its arms, Kaze dropped her left sword, withdrew a small, green vial, and smashed it into a newly opened wound in the monster's chest, where it shattered, releasing the spell.

Curved, gleaming blades burst from the wolf's back, spinning up into the air. The creature gave a shattered bellow and collapsed onto all fours. Arcing around, the wide splinters of light flew at their target, one by one, striking from the left, right, and left again, until the magic weakened and they fractured into a thousand tiny stars, fading into the surrounding storm.

The wolf remained, huddled in its position, occasional shudders racking its form.

"Kaze." She looked up. Izaak tossed her a large silver dagger from his position on the monster's right. She caught the object easily with her empty left hand. Taking a step forward, she readied the weapon for a blow to end the monster's life, once and for all.

There was no warning. As Kaze took that step, the great werewolf surged forward with incredible speed, low to the ground. He caught her in the midsection with his left shoulder, lifting her up. The jarring impact made her right hand lose its grip on her sword, and it tumbled to the ground with a _clang_.

Time seemed to slow as powerfully muscled legs propelled them off the cliff, kicking up snow. A second later, they hung suspended in space, glittering ice crystals from the snow flurries and the heavy breath of the werewolf frozen for a moment in time. Izaak watched in astonished horror and he raised a gloved hand, beginning to move towards them.

As suddenly as it had stopped, time started to flow again. Kaze let out a short, startled shout as realization hit…and the two foes plummeted into the vast abyss, vanishing into the darkening white of the storm.

_No._ Izaak scrambled to the edge and fell onto his knees, heart thudding in his chest. He searched frantically for any sign of his friend in the impenetrable, churning white of the chasm. Nothing. Opposing winds howled in the background. The dropped sword emitted a fading, mournful ring as the blade stilled its vibrations. _No!_

"_KAZE!_" There wasn't even an echo as the wind whipped his words away.

* * * * *

End Part I


	6. Part II: Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **There are a few references in this chapter to events that have happened in Kaze's past. They're meant to be ambiguous, since those events are the subject of another story. They're also meant to be somewhat confusing, since Kaze is hardly completely lucid here, so if you don't know what she's talking about, that was the intention. ;)

* * * * *

**Part II**

**Chapter One**

* * * * *

Heavy footsteps struck the wooden floor of the tavern in slow, measured beats. They paused at a table in the corner.

A chair scooted hastily backwards as the occupant rose. "Did you…?"

"It is finished."

"…My men, they have given me reports of not just one, but _several_ bodies of werewolves just outside town-"

"I told you. It is _finished_." Indeed, there was not a single living werewolf within a ten-mile radius of the town. Izaak had made sure of that.

"Then…" The mayor glanced questioningly over Izaak's shoulder and back to his face. Taking in the stony expression that replaced once smiling eyes, the man sighed in understanding. "I'm sorry-"

"Just hand over the money."

Wordlessly, he did just that. "If there's anything…"

Izaak pivoted on his heel and strode out of the building. A small figure looked up from cleaning tables in time to see him leave. "Sir! Wait!" and darted after the demon-hunter.

Izaak stopped just outside the door, back stiff. Turning, he regarded the boy.

"Did you find out anything? Did you find my brother?" he asked, anxiously.

A shadow passed over Izaak's eyes. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a circular, brassy object – the boy's compass. Kaze had given it to him before they started their search. He dropped it into the boy's hand.

"No. We found nothing." The demon-hunter turned away. "I'm sorry."

"But…" The boy, confused, looked back up at him. Changing the subject, he asked, "Where's your friend?"

Izaak bowed his head, breathing out a heavy sigh. Then he straightened and left, with an equally heavy heart.

* * * * *

It was morning now, the sun just peeking over the horizon. The blizzard continued, but its fury was slowly abating. The wind still howled, though, frigid, whipping the fallen snow into peaked drifts, swirling in unpredictable currents at the base of a tall, jagged precipice so high, it vanished into the distance and blowing snow.

A sound came from one of these drifts, and it shifted, snow skittering down from the top. A dark figure clawed its way free, and with great difficulty, crawled out and tumbled down the side, laying in an exhausted heap at the bottom. It cracked one golden eye open and gazed up into the sky, staring at the blinding white.

Kaze searched her memory, piecing the fragments together. Hateful green eyes. Flawless silver-white fur. Shining razor claws, slashing…always seeking to rip and tear and slice. The werewolf lunging at her. Her driving a dagger…Izaak's…into its belly as it struck. Tumbling through the air. A frantic mid-air duel as the foes tried to finish each other off. Stabbing the beast several times. Then bumping, jolting, _breaking_…spinning…and finally _nothing_.

So…it was dead, right? It had to be dead…nothing could survive that. But…_she_ was alive…? How? So…_was_ it dead, then, or not? She groaned in confusion.

It was cold. So cold.

_Am _I_ dead?_ Taking stock of the situation, she examined what she could feel of her injuries. Broken ribs…broken leg…an arm…that should definitely move when she thought at it, but didn't…and countless gashes. She started in horror. Had she been bitten? She didn't feel different. Didn't feel like a werewolf. But what did one feel like, anyway? She considered for a moment, then sighed, her momentary fear draining away into the surrounding cold. _Oh well. Just need a potion…_Now where was _that_? Oh yes! Her pack…which was where, now? She fought the desire to space out. Ahh…it was on her back. Ha! Which she couldn't reach, as she couldn't move her arm.

_I _am_ dead_, she thought, was dead and fretting over her injuries. Did dead people do that? She thought that she distinctly remembered being _un_dead once…but it was hazy and she knew she didn't worry about injuries at the time. Because if you're dead it doesn't matter…was it the same if you were undead? _In any case,_ she told herself, _I should really quit worrying. _

Just as she was thinking about getting around to _really_ spacing out this time…a noise she half heard and half imagined that she imagined shook her (closer) to her senses. With a faint concern that she may not have finished off the monster after all, she made an effort and rolled over, squinting against the sudden, blinding light filling her vision.

Through the ground blizzard, the rising sun blazed. Though its shape could not be discerned, brilliant, golden light shone through the blowing snow, multiplied by the thousands of tiny ice crystals scattering its radiance, and dazzling her eyes with its intensity.

At the top of a low drift in front of her appeared the silhouette of a large wolf, as tall as a small horse, haloed in the golden brilliance. The edges of its fur turned molten in the fiery light.

_An angel…I _am_ dead_. She had an angel wolf watching over her. This _was_ the afterlife, after all, she realized. Her wolf was an angel…or her angel was a wolf, whichever. (She noted with relief that it was not the monster from before…that would have been a tad awkward.) Was it possible? _Apparently._

Her eyes adjusted slightly to the intense glow. She picked out some details…pure white fur, regal bearing, and piercing blue eyes that regarded her impassively.

The wolf – a female – twitched her nose and lowered her head. _You have fought the daiwolf. _

"…Daiwolf?" Kaze choked out. "I-"

_He is not dead._

Kaze felt her blood run cold. "What!? But he has to be dead! After all that…"

_You think, as humans, your teeth and your claws could end _him_? One who has the blood of ancients in his veins and the boundless power of the stars in his blood?_

Despair flooded her heart. "…He has to be… What _is_ he that he could still live?"

_He is the daiwolf. There is no other. He is the Fallen One. The one I have followed since the dawn of time._

Kaze stared, failing to comprehend.

She flicked an ear. _He was once one of us…though we call ourselves by terms you do not understand, humans may know us as the Winter Wolves. Long ago we roamed this land…our homeland a land of endless, driven snow, pitch black skies, and countless, sparkling stars. Shortly after our awakening, we witnessed the birth of the dancing sky fire, the lights from the north. We journeyed far before you learned the need to live by…_fire. She twitched her head at this word.

_Long ago, but not early in our history, a great battle came to us. It was fought well; I was there. But our great strength, our speed and great skill, were not enough. And we were failing._

_ But there was one among us. He saw our plight and he saw our need. So he made a great journey to bargain with the one we speak of no longer. And he came back…changed. _

In some distant corner of her mind, Kaze realized that the wolf was communicating with her in some way other than speech or telepathy. She didn't understand how this was possible, yet the wolf's meaning, intentions, and emotions were somehow conveyed as clearly to her as if she was reading a book. She had a dim feeling that this should cause her some concern, and yet could not figure out why that should be the case. The reason was almost there, pressing at the back of her mind, but she swatted it away irritably, trying to focus on the conversation.

_His form was like ours, but different. This form, he said, held much power. And indeed, his strength was greater than our strength, his speed greater than our speed, and his cunning…greater, too. But he was distant, aware of his sacrifice, and the great burden placed upon him._

_ There were those of us who doubted…but he became General and led our forces to victory. There was not a single battle that he commanded that was lost. The Enemy was vanquished._

_ But at such a cost. Celebrated once, he was shunned over time. Too different…strange…untrustworthy… _Her fur bristled and she bared her teeth. _They turned him away. They, whose lives he saved, they who he sacrificed much for…_so_ much. They were _not_ worthy._

_ I followed him. I vowed to see him to his end. Even if it took eternity. _

_ And indeed, he did change. Slowly, but inevitably. Like a great ice sheet does when cast adrift, and erodes over time and the pounding of merciless waves. But the change was not his doing. It was theirs._

_ He is the Fallen One._

Kaze pondered this information. She felt sympathy for the great beast. But…she couldn't allow him to continue his rampage. If only she could get into her pack!

She looked up, startled. The wolf was _right there_, nose-to-nose with her. Kaze could feel its icy breath. It sniffed, glanced at the gashes on her arm.

_You are the same as him, now._

"…W-what!?" She could feel her heart pounding.

_You bear the same curse. I will not allow you to wreck the same destruction._

At those ominous words, Kaze whipped out a dagger with her good hand and pressed it against the wolf's throat. "Angel or not, I _will_ kill you," she snarled, despite the stunned dismay clouding her heart at the news. _No…not _again_!_

The wolf blinked in surprise. _You wish this curse upon yourself? Do you not desire to end yourself, now, so that you do not suffer the same fate? I have both the opportunity and the obligation to prevent the birth of another…monster._

"Ha!" She spat out, with difficulty. "What curse is there that could concern me? I have survived one before and broken it. I will do the same again," she vowed. "Besides, if you're so worried about another monster, why don't you take care of the one already roaming around?" She demanded.

The wolf considered. _Do you think that I am capable of such a feat? Do you think that I can match the General?_

Kaze hesitated.

_He is a force beyond my reckoning. I cannot stop him. _The wolf answered for her.

"Fine. Then _I_ will stop him. And I _will_ break the curse."

_Very well._ The wolf acknowledged. She turned and walked away. Pausing at the top of the drift, she glanced back. _May you be fortunate to find acceptance, then, with the creatures whose appearance you will take. For you will no longer find it among your own kind._

And she disappeared into the radiance.

Kaze blinked, slowly lowering the dagger, wondering if it had all been a dream.

Whatever the case, she was filled with a new, fierce determination to get up and start moving, to finish off the nemesis who had somehow survived (where _did_ he go…?)…and to find a cure. She struggled to stand, but fell back into the snow, groaning, her injuries starting to get to her. Okay, so she would get up…slowly. _In just a minute_, she thought, as the world faded into darkness. Her last coherent thought was, _Izaak's going to be _so_ ticked off that the thing's still alive…_

* * * * *

Indeed, "ticked off" was an understatement. A cold fury settled itself upon his heart as he forcibly quelled the upsurge of unreasoning hatred, frustration, and grief.

"What. Did. You. Say?" He turned upon his unlucky informant, eyes flashing.

The poor man shrank under his withering glare. "Th-there's been a great white beast sighted…in the mountains…a little over a day's journey from here."

Izaak closed his eyes and sighed, struggling to get his anger under control. Crumpling the report in his grasp, he started back toward the village. Rummaging around in a pocket, he pulled out a shiny object, handing it to the messenger.

"Run back to the village. Confiscate whatever silver items you people own and have 'em melted down. I want as many of those," he gestured to the small object, "made as possible." He cast a sharp look at the man. "_Pure_ silver, mind you, none of that silver-coated junk."

The man glanced at the item he held. A large, silver bullet. "_All_ of the silver…?"

"Yes. _All_ of it."

"I don't think the mayor will be too pleased…"

"That's too bad." Izaak smirked, darkly. "It's written in the contract."

* * * * *

_to be continued…_


	7. Part II: Chapter 2

**Part II**

**Chapter Two**

* * * * *

The forest was peaceful this time of year. It was cold, yes, but those blessed with a thick, warm coat heeded neither the temperature nor the deep snow. In fact, at that moment, one of those lucky few was enjoying the climate, lounging in a bright patch of golden sun streaming through the branches. Dark, almost black fur soaked in the warmth. Long guard hairs rustled in the light breeze.

A wet nosed twitched as the form stirred from its doze, taking in the strong scent of pine and crisp snow. The wolf raised its head and lazily stood, stretching. It yawned.

This wolf was a dark, dark brown overall, black to some eyes, with silvery markings about the face, ruff, chest, and back, fainter on other areas of the body. Black and silver guard hairs sprang up around the neck and tail, giving a rather spiky appearance. Short, silver claws grew out of wide, thickly padded feet, built for travel over snow. Distinctive golden, glowing eyes completed its appearance.

An ear twitched and the wolf cocked its head, staring down into the undergrowth. A rabbit, unawares, hopped out, gnawing on a twig. The wolf considered it for a moment. A sitting rabbit was no fun. So it gave a low bark, startling the rabbit into action.

The wolf lunged forward as its prey took off in a panic, zigzagging around the trees. A wide grin split the wolf's face as it pursued its quarry, taking every breakneck turn in stride. Soon they burst out of the grove, reaching open land, favoring the wide gait of the wolf. As it closed, the rabbit made a last, frantic attempt at avoiding certain doom, and plunged into a small stand of bushes.

To its relief it was ignored. The wolf, not hungry, continued onwards, reveling in the open freedom and the crisp mountain air. It galloped up the mountainside, bounding over small rises. It plunged joyfully into a snowdrift, spraying sparkling snow into the air, and, unfaltering, loped to the top of a long hill. There it paused in the shade of a few firs, breathing deeply, but not in the least winded.

The wolf's ears flicked back and forth and its nose twitched, unraveling the hidden story of the world. A quick mind sifted through the onslaught of information, picking out the pertinent details.

A second rabbit lay petrified beneath the boughs of the small fir, behind and to the left. The wolf's ears and nose provided this information, and it – she – could taste its fear. The four trees concealed no less than five old bird nests…no doubt they had been quarreled over all spring. The tiny vibrations of a family of field mice below were felt through her paws, and she resisted the urge to leap and pounce, scattering them. And much higher, up the mountain, she knew which snowfields were safe, and which were unstable, from the creaks and shifts deep within.

In her examination of her surroundings, a faint scent, borne over the mountain on a delicate waft of air, nearly escaped her. But not quite. It smelled of wolf, and of ancient things, savage wilderness, and of wrath, and of some things she could not place…but she knew the scent. The familiar trace brought with it a jumble of memories…disjointed thoughts and impressions. A hunt, the clash of steel, running, and…a promise? To another wolf?

Realization slowly dawned, and Kaze placed the scent with the great werewolf…daiwolf that they had been pursuing. They had fought it, she recalled, and it had evaded them. She and it had made the plunge off the cliff, both apparently surviving. After that…a strange, surreal vision. And then…

She did not know how she came to be here, did not know how long it had been between then and now. As if from a distant dream, she remembered hearing the song of wind and freedom, feeling the boundless energy of a wild, untamed spirit, soaring with a fierce joy in life. As these memories started to overtake her again, she turned her back on a feeling that seemed to call her to the daiwolf, as it had many others like her. She sniffed with disdain. She could not be controlled in such a manner; her destiny was her own.

Just as she was about to forsake that place and the chained souls beyond the mountain, she caught another scent. This one was more familiar to her and brought with it images of spiky black hair, warm blue eyes, and an easy, friendly smile. _Izaak!_

He had been there too, hadn't he? Of course! It all came flooding back in a rush. And now he was _there_, the two scents mingling, originating from the same place over the mountain. Which meant that he had gone to take on the daiwolf by himself. Alone.

_Idiot!_ She couldn't allow that! He'd go and get himself killed.

Kaze leapt down the hill, following the scents to their source, deep into the mountains. She felt an awful sense of urgency, and pressed herself to greater speed. Lengthening her stride, she felt her pace increasing, driving her legs ever faster.

Gradually, a change occurred, though she didn't notice. She kept to all fours, but appeared somewhat different from a wolf, larger perhaps, with sharper ears, more strongly muscled arms, and a longer body that arced with each stride, springing her forward. Wind whipped past her as she blurred over the mountains toward her destination.

* * * * *

It took the better part of the day, even at her incredible speed, for Kaze to near the location of interest, and the sun had begun to sink to the horizon, lengthening shadows. Once again she had entered a wooded area, the trees sparsely planted here, as they existed much higher in the mountains. She could tell by the scent that she was close; the smell of countless other werewolves also permeated the area. She frowned. They smelled…more tame? Was that the word she was looking for? Wild still, and fierce…but less of…something…than the daiwolf had.

So focused on her thoughts was she, that she didn't notice a second creature's presence until it had nearly drawn even with her. She jumped to the side, startled, even as she continued running on her chosen course, through flickering light and shadow. She glanced once at it; did a double-take. Yep, it was another werewolf, solid slate gray in color, with brown eyes. He was traveling on two legs, gauru-style, instead of four as she was, and she realized she must have slowed down some when she became lost in her thoughts, otherwise he could not have caught up with her.

She examined him from the corner of her eye. He was not moving to attack. Her brow wrinkled in confusion, or would have if she were human, unsure as to his intentions.

Her hesitation must have showed, however. He glanced at her curiously. _Greetings, pack-mate,_ he hailed, as he matched her pace. _You are used to a life of solitude, as are the rest of us._

Again, words without words, just as in her dream. She frowned inwardly, trying to puzzle it out, even as another part of her bristled at the insolent assumption that she could be called "pack-mate." She was free and independent, did not need or want the burden of some…_pack_. How dare he? She didn't even know the guy. Her lip curled in derision, unveiling pearly white canines.

He seemed to read her mind. _Take it easy, friend. We are all we can count on in this world. We live so scattered apart that mutual alliances are almost impossible to come by, and valuable when found. _He looked forward to their shared path. _Is that not why you are here? The legend is true, after all! A gathering of werewolves. _

She regarded him warily.

He continued, oblivious, a spark of intense…something alighting within his eyes. _An end to our suffering, to our isolation, to our relentless, cruel persecution. Can you not _feel_ it?_ he exclaimed, with mounting passion. _The call, tugging at our hearts, minds, our very _essence.

She considered. Indeed, she did feel something, but it was not so very strong to her, as it seemed to be to this one. And she regarded it with distaste. Her life was her own, and the very thought of something tugging her in any certain direction caused her to resist it, if only to prove that she could.

_We will sweep through the lands with such freedom! Nothing shall stand in our way._

Kaze tried to recall if Izaak had ever explained how these previous raids he had talked about had ended. She didn't know, but the very fact that these happenings were relegated to legend, and that very few knew of them, left her doubtful as to their lasting success.

_You have misgivings. Either you have been away so long that the solitude is engrained deeply in your heart, or you have not been with us long enough and do not yet know what the agony of extended separation from your former human race is like. _He turned to her. _Tell me, is the grief still fresh in you mind? The pain of knowing you cannot ever rejoin your friends, your family? Do you still mourn for the loss of the life you once had?_

Umm…no. She had carefully been trying _not_ to think about it actually, to focus on the task at hand as Izaak would want and expect her to. But now that this werewolf had mentioned it, all her fears came flooding to the forefront of her mind.

What would Izaak do, once he saw her? She clearly remembered the tale of his hometown, and what the werewolves had done. She had tried to read his feelings at the time…he hadn't expressed a hatred for werewolves, but perhaps he was just keeping his emotions in check. Would he turn his back on her, once he saw what she had become? Would he choose to remain cold and indifferent? Or, would he fire upon her in anger and hatred? Kaze felt distinctly that she had deeply betrayed him by becoming this monster, and she nearly despaired.

The werewolf at her side felt her roiling emotions. _Ah, I see._

Yeah right. You don't even know the half of it. Jerk.

_But take heart! You will be welcomed into a new family, I feel it. We all will! Tell me, what will you do when we finally reach _him_,_ _the one who calls? When we join together at last, and begin our dance of freedom!_

What. An. Idiot. Blind, ignorant, _stupid_, turning his back on all that he once knew…could he not see what he was doing? Destroying the very homes and lives he once loved and yearned for?

Kaze knew exactly what she would do. Destroy them _all_, these mad, hopeless beings, once human, but no longer. Rip them apart, scatter them into the winds. A great anger rose within her. She'd plow a path straight through to their marvelous leader, the Fallen One…how _appropriate_, she sneered…and rip out his heart for all that he had done, for being the cause of her _own_ anguish…

Too late, the wolf read her murderous intent, though she quickly tried to squash those feelings. He turned surprised eyes upon her. Then they narrowed. His expression became a snarl, baring sharp teeth, and he raised black claws, planning to bring them down into her neck and back.

Quickly she turned into the larger form, rage fueling her speed, and made a half-leap upwards towards his exposed throat. She called for more power, and, as strength flowed into her veins, she unknowingly transformed again. The sudden surge of both her powerful back legs and an increase in size brought her teeth to his throat. In a split second he was caught in a vise-like grip; she gave her head a quick jerk, something _snapped_…and he went limp.

Kaze immediately released him. Their momentum had carried them forwards, down a steep, nearly vertical hill. She pivoted, mid-leap, to face him as his body fell away, feet breaking hard into the ground when she landed. The body tumbled down a short ways before trees arrested its fall.

She now regarded him, emotionlessly. Instinct told her that he wasn't dead yet; werewolves could take an insane amount of damage. But she had lost interest in the fight now that he was immobile, and chose to leave him be.

She cocked her head, recognizing that the form she now had was the same as the other werewolf's. _What had Izaak called this? Guaru Form? _She examined her hands to find that they were human-like, with long silver claws, and she now stood upright, balanced by her tail. _Interesting._

Her musings were cut short, however, when she became aware of sounds floating on the wind. She turned to look down the hill through the trees.

The ground flattened out, the trees ended, and there, on thin, snow-covered dirt, at the edge of a cliff, was a town. Though mountain peaks rose in the distance behind it, it seemed perched at the very tip of the world.

It was very old and appeared to be abandoned. Many of the wooden structures were supported, at least in part, by stone blocks for extra stability. But, even so, Kaze was amazed that it had lasted as well as it did in the harsh conditions here on the mountain. Indeed, the flat ground was almost bare of snow, evidence of strong winds blowing through unhindered. Hard, frozen dirt was laid bare in some spots. It seemed to be more of an outpost than a full town, with the buildings arranged in a rough circle around a clearing, which contained the smashed remains of what Kaze thought to be a wooden water tower, as well as a tower of logs stacked in a square. This was clearly meant to be something lit on fire, but for what purpose? Signal flames, perhaps?

Nearer the cliff, behind and to the left of the town center, from Kaze's point of view, stood a large, stone church, whose roof seemed to have collapsed. A small bell tower (now with no bell) rose above wide, double doors, which were broken and hung down from their hinges.

To the right of the church, and just beyond it, Kaze spied a bridge. Narrow, and constructed entirely of stone, it arced grandly over the abyss, catching the sinking sun, to the mountain on the other side. She stared for a moment in wonder. Why had such a thing been built? _How_ had it been built? She judged it to be over a mile in length.

Her attention turned back to the town when a flash of movement caught her eye. Werewolves. Three of them, with perhaps more hidden out of sight within the buildings. A growl rose up inside her throat. Her ears stood at attention, and she lowered her head, staring at them intently.

It was time to hunt.

* * * * *

_to be continued…_


	8. Part II: Chapter 3

**Part II**

**Chapter Three**

* * * * *

Izaak, very cautiously and very slowly, stepped over some fallen rubble through a back door into the abandoned old church. It was dark in here after the brightness of the outside, and he quickly moved to the side to avoid being silhouetted against the square of light. He crouched, the fingertips of one gloved hand touching the floor, holding Divine Retribution pointed skyward near his head with the other.

He surveyed the interior. He rested near the wall on his left, while most of the view to the front and to his right side was hidden behind large piles of rubble. The tall, vaulted ceiling had collapsed in some areas, leaving thick wooden beams – full tree trunks – propped at odd angles in the debris. Piles of large, smooth stones and other wooden slats also lay scattered about, creating a virtual maze through the structure. _With unpredictable pitfalls, too, no doubt_, Izaak thought, as he rocked back on his heels slightly, floorboards creaking. He didn't know if this building had a cellar or anything, but he wasn't looking forward to finding out the quick 'n easy way.

Long shafts of light cut through the darkness, through gaps in the ceiling and small breaks in the walls, illuminating swirling dust motes. A thick layer of the stuff covered everything. He moved his fingers slightly, leaving tracks on the floor. From what he could see of the rest of the room, a light dusting of snow lay over objects exposed to the wind and weather from above. It seemed to be silent, save for the howling of the wind outside.

It had taken Izaak four days, from the time he returned to that small village, to track the white werewolf to this location. Four _days_! The going had been difficult, scaling the mountains. He had lost the trail a couple times, too, and been forced to beat back werewolves almost every step of the way. And now his patience had just about worn thin.

He forced caution upon himself, however, upon reaching this abandoned outpost. Up until now he had faced the werewolves one, or two at a time if he was extremely unlucky. Seeing the numbers here, though, had given him pause. His magic was waning, he was tired and more than a little worse for wear, and he'd no desire to die this close to his goal. He'd seen his target cross the great expanse of the bridge, and knew it waited just on the other side. But it was a long crossing with no cover, and he didn't want to risk it with so many enemies at his back. So he'd circle around the town, find a place to conceal himself, and take out the werewolves one by one.

Izaak slowly edged forward, all senses straining for the tiniest noise. His eyes darted around the building, and he hesitated at each squeak of the floor. He eased around the rubble blocking most of his initial view, and continued deeper into the structure.

Some sixth sense caused him to look up, just in time to see a dark furry figure drop off a pile of rubble right on top of him, arms outstretched in a deadly bear hug. Izaak pivoted, raising his gun and firing as the gigantic thing hit, knocking him to the ground. A sharp pain suddenly coursed through his skull and stars exploded in front of his eyes. He lay there for a second, stunned, having brained himself on an unlucky stone.

Izaak shook his head to clear it. He caught sight of the heavy monster lying on top of him and panicked, yanking himself backwards with a yell. But it didn't move. He prodded it with the barrel of his weapon. Satisfied, he heaved its weight off of his legs with a grunt and stood, somewhat shakily, patting himself down for injuries. He found none, other then a growing bump on his head. Upon closer inspection of the large exit wound in the wolf's back, he concluded that one of his shots had nailed it in the heart. What luck! Lady Luck hadn't given up on him yet. He heaved a sigh of relief.

The sound of small skittering rocks sent adrenaline pumping again, and he whirled around, gun aimed squarely at this new menace. Not four yards away, a second werewolf stood tall, staring defiantly at him with fiercely burning eyes. Black as night, it bared gleaming teeth and flexed razor sharp claws. Izaak swallowed. Maybe he had thought too soon.

* * * * *

Kaze had quickly dispatched the werewolves roaming outside and through the smaller buildings. Their shouted challenges had made her smile, and the quickness of their movements in battle, and the strength and rage they displayed, sent power and adrenaline coursing through her veins, working her into a frenzy.

Their demise did not take long. For she found she was swifter than them, stronger than them. She plowed through with ease, smiting them with powerful blows, rending them apart with claws of flashing silver. She easily shrugged off any damage done to her.

But it was not enough, the need for wild destruction hardly satisfied so quickly. She wanted to feel the resistance through her muscles as she tore through obstacles in her way.

So when she heard the gunshots, ringing loudly in sensitive ears, she turned eagerly in that direction. It came from the church. Kaze flew across the town center. One effortless leap brought her to the high rooftop, and she dropped silently into the dim interior through a gap. She landed, crouching, beginning a soundless hunt rather than tearing through, because it now pleased and amused her to do so.

Her lips parted in a grin, ears pointed stiffly forward as she maneuvered smoothly on all fours through the rubble, blending into deeper shadows. She felt anticipation at the coming kill. Without a sound, she climbed up a heap of stones and broken beams, and spied, on the other side, a figure with its back turned. She chuckled internally.

Making a small hop she landed at the bottom, rubble tumbling down behind her, and straightened to loom over the human. It spun to face her, raising its weapon.

Kaze almost leapt in for the kill right then, the challenge of its actions not unnoticed. But she paused, a tiny flicker of recognition kindling deep within. Her raging frenzy nearly drowned it out; however, it fought, declaring that she knew the scent, the stance, the blue eyes and wind-tousled hair. A small part of her shouted a name, and she hesitated, confused.

The click of the firearm being cocked drew her attention back to her quarry, and she narrowed her eyes and crouched, preparing to leap into an attack. But the tiny voice shouted with renewed urgency, demanding her attention, and she drew her awareness back to the battle within.

* * * * *

Izaak looked at the werewolf, puzzled himself as to why it hadn't yet attacked. He cocked his gun. That brought a reaction, and it knelt, snarling. Izaak prepared to fire, but again it hesitated. He narrowed his eyes and looked at it closely, noticing the glow of golden eyes and a scrap of red-brown cloth about its neck that fluttered in a draft.

_What the…?_ He glanced back to the eyes. Werewolves didn't have glowing eyes. Reflective, yes, but glowing? The only things that had glowing eyes were demons, some vampires, and… A desperate idea suddenly popped into his head. _No! It can't be! _His eyes darted down to the creature's left hand, spying a distinctive silver mark in the fur, a familiar mark normally hidden by gloves on familiar, unfurred hands. That confirmed it. _By all that's Holy…Kaze!_

A surge of conflicting emotions nearly brought him to his knees. Extreme relief and joy that she was alive. A great despair that she was now this fearsome and terrible creature before him. And an overwhelming fear and uncertainty that she would not know who he was. His arm trembled.

Thoughts warred within him. _Should I fire upon my own best friend? To protect myself? To end her own nightmare? To keep her from doing something that she would later regret and hate herself for? _His gun wavered, even as he fought to hold it steady. _No…I…I can't. I can't do it. Not after this! Not after finding her back from the dead!_ Izaak let his gun drop to his side in despair.

He prepared himself for what he feared was the inevitable, and hoped with all his heart that she would remember none of it.

He closed his eyes, took a shuddering breath, and opened them. The werewolf was still there, still crouched low. But it no longer seemed to have its full attention upon him. It was then that he noticed the flickering in her eyes; she appeared to be having an internal struggle of some sort.

Hope flared up within. Maybe Izaak could still turn this around! He needed to do something that would snap her out of it…in the right direction. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. Hopefully this would work…

"Jeez, Kaze!" he drawled, in a confidant and joking tone. "What gives? You leave me hangin' for _days_, and this is how you finally return to say 'Hi?' All snarls an' growls an' stuff?" He shook his head. "Besides, Little Miss _High and Mighty_," he mocked. "Aren't ya a little short for a werewolf?"

* * * * *

His exclamation startled her awake. _Izaak!!_ The fury subsided and was forgotten.

She drew herself up, indignantly, curling a lip. "What the heck, _Izaak_? What kind of a welcome is _that_?" she demanded.

A huge grin lit up his eyes. He could barely contain his happiness. He waved a hand. "Well, ya are at least a full head shorter than everything else I've seen around here."

It was true. She gaped at him, then found her words and brandished a claw. "I'll have you know that I've got more power in one _single_ claw than…"

Her words trailed off as Izaak threw himself upon her, wrapping strong arms around her in a giant hug. Even with her werewolf given strength, she found it a bit hard to breathe.

"Izaak…"

"I thought you were _dead_, kiddo. You went off of that mountain with that monster, and I didn't have any hope left. I couldn't even find my way down to look, and I _tried_."

Kaze's ears drooped, her heart breaking at the distress in his voice. She had never realized. "I'm _sorry_, Zak…" she whispered, using the shortened form of his name.

"Don't be!" Dark blue eyes met gold. "Don't be sorry for anything; _none_ of it's your fault! If anything, _I_ should have been more careful. _I_ should have watched out for you…"

"Don't be an idiot! It's not your fault either!" Kaze literally growled at her friend. "I am a _demon-hunter_, Izaak, and I can darn well take care of myself. See? I came back, didn't I? I'm _not_ dead. I'm still me, and it'll take a lot more than a little tumble off a mountain and a big bad wolf to do me in."

Izaak grinned again, eyes shining. "Right." Then he ruffled the fur between her ears, and she couldn't say that it was all that bad. "So what took you so long, anyway?"

"…huh? What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, 'What do I mean?' You've been gone for four days! Well, _five_ actually, counting the time since you fell."

Kaze blinked, surprised. "Uh…_five_ days? You sure?" He nodded. She pondered, uncomfortably. "Well…I'm…not really sure. I know it took me a little over half a day to get _here_, from wherever I was before that. I don't even know where we are in relation to that first little town." She paused, remembering. "The last thing I remember was waking up, I guess…it must have been the morning right after I fell. I must have been delirious or something, though, because I dreamed that this wolf spoke to me."

Izaak looked at her strangely. "What did it say?"

Kaze shook her head. "It told me about the wolf we're tracking, called it the 'Fallen One' or some such thing. Then it said that I was a werewolf, too. I guess I was bitten sometime during the fall, but I don't remember when. Then after that…I don't remember much. Just vague images and impressions."

Izaak sighed. "Oh well. Can't be helped." He stood. "C'mon, on your feet. We've got a monster to put down, and he ain't gonna wait around all day. You can elaborate on your little vision as we go."

"'Kay." She yawned and stood, stretching. Then she gave the air a quick sniff and her ears swiveled once. "No more werewolves on his side of the bridge. Let's cross. You think that's where he's headed?"

"Yep, saw him cross." They picked their way out of the building. "You can tell that easily? About the werewolves, I mean."

She gave him a look. "Well, _yeah_." Then she realized how strange it must seem. "I guess I never really questioned it before, but it's the whole being a werewolf…thing." She pointed to her ears. "You know? It's like…second nature."

Izaak grinned wryly. "In your case it _is_ a second nature."

"Heh."

They stepped outside, into a strong, refreshing breeze. The sun sunk ever lower, casting golden light over everything. Now that they were together again, both were feeling a bit giddy, energized, and eagerly looking forward to finally putting an end to this quest. Once again, all was right in the world. The two grinned widely at each other, and, turning as one, headed for the bridge.

* * * * *

_to be continued…_


	9. Part II: Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Last chapter! The only thing left is the epilogue, which will wrap up a few loose ends. Happy Valentine's Day to all!

* * * * *

**Part II**

**Chapter Four**

* * * * *

"Tell me again why I'm going first?" Izaak yelled over the gale force winds that threatened to sweep them off the bridge.

"So I can catch you if you fall!" Kaze bellowed back.

Disgruntled, he turned and replied, "I'm not gonna…!" but had to swallow his words as he was forced to regain his balance against a sudden gust. He turned back around, muttering about the injustice of it all.

They had started boldly across the bridge, which, although seemingly thin and frail from a distance, began, at their end, a comfortable several yards wide and arced shallowly over the gulf. They found however, that it quickly swept into a rather nerve-wracking width of just over a single yard in the center, over which they were currently passing. The constant force of the winds and the unpredictable gusts out here, suspended over _nothing_, forced them to travel almost bent double to ensure they were not swept off their feet. Even Kaze, now more massive as a werewolf than Izaak, found it tough going.

The bridge itself was a dense, blue-gray stone, perhaps a type of granite, judging from the tiny visible crystals and the way the edges sparkled in the setting sun. Darker bluish veins ran through it. At the ends, the vertical thickness of the bridge was about six or seven yards; this narrowed to maybe three in the middle. Curious patterns were carved deep into the sides of the bridge, large swirls and other designs, along its entire length. The top surface was quite smooth, however, and, as the hunters found by clutching the rounded edges, was worn down over an indeterminable amount of time by the extreme conditions in which it existed.

Izaak glanced over the side. They were so high up that clouds, tinted gold by the sun, obscured whatever lay beneath them. The mountain peaks, colored a similar hue, surrounded them, with a clear, endless, cloudless sky above. Utter silence reigned, save for the wind, and Izaak knew they were on top of the world.

The sight by itself was quite peaceful and had a calming effect. It was different actually being there, however, nearly teetering on the edge. Izaak, normally completely unconcerned about heights, found himself tense and slightly uneasy. Thoughts of being blown so easily off that narrow line of safety and plummeting endlessly downward, where the clouds churned in the wind, had to be forcibly squashed, lest they render him immobile with fear. He could feel the structure swaying with the powerful gusts.

The two were able to pick up speed once again, when they got closer to the far end. Just as on the other side, the carved stone merged smoothly with the surrounding rock. As they neared, they saw it lead into a mountain pass, jagged walls rising high on either side. Somewhere beyond this, they knew, their formidable opponent waited.

* * * * *

Izaak pulled Kaze back just before they rounded the final obstruction of rock. He reached behind him, under his cloak, and pulled out two familiar objects.

"My swords…" Kaze breathed. "I thought I had lost them."

Izaak shook his head. "You dropped them at the top of the cliff. I was saving them…for…well…" He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Kaze grinned and took the swords, happy to once again feel their reassuring weight in her hands. "No worries, Izaak." She slung the scabbards onto her back, making the necessary adjustments due to her larger size. "Let's go."

Together, they edged around the corner and stopped at the sight that greeted them.

"By the Planet!" they whispered in unison.

Nestled within a natural bowl formed by the surrounding rock lay the ruins of some unknown culture. They were constructed out of the same veined, blue-gray stone as the bridge had been, and bore the same designs. A large area in the floor at the center of the bowl had been smoothed out into an oval shape. Strange writing and glyphs were carved into this surface, following the curve of the oval, nearly concentrically, before closing in on an off-center point, where a broken pedestal stood. Odd, curved pillars of stone arced out of the ground around the perimeter, as if they were the ribs of some gigantic animal. At the far end, across from the two demon-hunters along the longest diameter of the oval, the stone ribs left an opening for some large, semi-collapsed structure. Kaze assumed that it must have been a multi-level tower of some sort, once. This structure extended off of the flat surface to run nearly flush against the rock walls forming the bowl. Two smaller, one-story buildings were positioned just outside of the oval on either side of the short diameter. They, too, had once been flush against the wall, before time had taken its toll. The jagged rock encircling the entire site closed in tightly around them.

Amongst the large chunks of rubble strewn across the surface of the bowl, several werewolves meandered aimlessly about. Kaze and Izaak groaned in frustration. Honestly, how many did they have to kill? They must have taken out a good chunk of the population in this area by now. Surely there couldn't be that many left! This was getting rather monotonous.

And, up at the top of the fallen tower, the white werewolf stood, half turned from them, idly examining the ruins. But Kaze wasn't fooled. He knew they were there. All the werewolves knew of their presence.

So she shrugged her shoulders and moseyed down the short, but steep, incline to the floor of the bowl, Izaak a half-step behind her, and stopped just shy of the carved surface.

The lower wolves turned as one to regard them, half crouched and ready to spring at their master's command. And finally, he turned, with what Kaze read as an amused expression on his face.

_So, you have come._

Kaze said nothing.

He observed her. _Hmm. It was not my intention to leave you as I am. I did not even consider such a possibility occurring. How curious. _He cocked his head. _I wonder if I should feel remorse? _An ear flicked. _But then, I feel not much of anything, any more._

He took a step forward over some of the rubble. _Why have you come, to this skybowl? Do you still seek to kill me? Or do you follow as they do…_he glanced at the werewolves below him. _For some imaginary gain?_

Kaze drew herself up, lifting her chin. _That should be obvious._

A smile tugged at the corners of the wolf's mouth. _Indeed._ Then he paused as if struck by a sudden thought. _You do not wish to join me? That option is open to you, I suppose. You are far closer to me than any of these…others,_ he regarded them disdainfully, face drawing into a slight frown. Then he mumbled almost to himself, _Not quite sure _how_ these crude animals came into being…peculiar…no relation to me…yet I run into them _everywhere_…_Was that a note of exasperation?

He turned back to Kaze. _However, _you_ might perhaps, one day, be my equal._ And he stepped forward and extended his hand in invitation.

Izaak elbowed Kaze in the ribs. "Do you have any idea what's going on? Why isn't anyone attacking?"

Kaze rumbled low in her throat and flicked her ears back and forth once. _That's obvious. He's just asking if I wish to join…_

"Hey! Kaze?"

She turned to him, irritated. _Izaak I just _said_…_But then she realized she _hadn't_ just said _anything_. In fact, no sounds at all had come from either her or the other wolf. _Huh? Telepathy? No…it's just like that dream…_

The great werewolf chuckled.

She glanced at him in annoyance, then thought for a moment. Gradually an understanding came upon her. All this time…they hadn't been communicating with _words_, but with _actions_ and _feelings_. Oh, some sounds, too, but…this was how many animals in the wild communicated, and, somehow, her transformation had allowed her to pick it up instinctively.

She turned back to Izaak, consciously forcing the words to form. "He…says…" she began, haltingly, as she re-familiarized herself with the normal manner of speaking. "That I can join him." Izaak looked at her as if she had grown a second head. She waved her hands. "Don't worry! Of course I'm not going to."

"Well, then, quit beatin' around the bush, and let's kill this guy already!"

The daiwolf, of course, had no need for her to speak her reply. _Very well. _And he launched himself upwards, off the building.

Everyone in the arena tensed, the werewolves intent on their prey, and the two demon-hunters intent on their leader.

To their surprise, the daiwolf did not rocket back down to earth as they expected; but, instead, somehow _floated_ to rest just above the surface of the bowl, arms hanging relaxed at his sides, as if the entire move had been effortless. Kaze could see, around him, an invisible sphere of power, its edges distorting the images of the ruins in the background. She could feel the hum of energy through the air and the rock beneath her feet.

The hunters waited to see what his next move would be. Which was, in hindsight, perhaps _not_ the wisest decision.

Emerald eyes laughed at them, as the werewolf brought his hands together, dark energy crackling between them. He drew his hands apart, and the energy grew into a giant sphere that seemed to swallow light. Then, all at once, he raised his arms and whipped it at them.

Isaak swore, and he and Kaze dove to opposite sides as the sphere roared past, slamming into the pillars and rock behind them. Wild energy tore at them as it swept through. They jumped to their feet and saw the destruction it had caused: a deep, blackened furrow had been carved the length of the smooth floor, and most of the werewolves, who had been more intent on their prey than their master…had been ruthlessly destroyed.

"Well, if you're gonna play nasty…" Izaak quipped. With a flourish, he twirled Retribution and shot several silver bullets into the daiwolf. They impacted the odd sphere around him, leaving ripples on its surface like stones hitting a pond…but otherwise did nothing.

"Get 'im, Kaze!"

She was already off and running, swords drawn. The daiwolf shot more dark energy spheres at her; smaller and more rapidly they came. But she was too fast, and successfully evaded the ones that came too close. At the last moment she leapt and drove into the wolf with her swords.

Steel clashed against claws, sparks flew, and the impact drove Kaze's opponent to the ground. He landed, the bubble of force dissipating.

For the second time, the hunter and the wolf launched into a duel. Only this time, they were more evenly matched. Her strength nearly equaled his, but her smaller size made her faster and more nimble. Together they tore about the arena with astonishing speed, raining blows upon each other that would have shattered the arm of a human. Sparks erupted with each clash of their weapons.

Izaak followed their progress with amazement, mouth gaping slightly. They darted back and forth, each seeking to use the terrain and surrounding ruins to their advantage, leaping over obstacles, bounding off the walls and stone pillars, and coming at each other with such relentless, irresistible _force_. Their individual motions were impossible to follow, merely sweeping arcs of silver light. Kaze was a whirling blur as she spun and parried, a sword in each hand, coming up, down, and around, seeking for an opening in the chaos of movement that was her opponent's defense. Loud, staccato _clangs_ rang out, reverberating throughout the bowl, leaving a pure, silver tone a steady background in Izaak's ears.

A small part of Izaak noted with amusement that the scene really was absurd in a way. Because Kaze came up to, _maybe_, chest height on the monster. _Aww…how cute._

Almost absent-mindedly, he fired a shot between the eyes of one of the few remaining werewolves that had sought to catch him unawares. It dropped. Then, thinking he'd try his luck, began to take pot shots at the daiwolf, whenever opportunity would allow. He was sorely disappointed, however; for each bullet there was a claw to match, instantly sweeping down to deflect it – the wolf didn't even look like he was trying. Izaak heaved an irritated sigh. Then lining up his firearm, he readied a shot, looking for the golden moment.

_There._ Izaak fired, and the bullet zipped, true, to the back of the white wolf's skull. The creature turned, a claw came up, parried, and went back to his fight. The bullet ricocheted back, striking the stone rib right behind Izaak, at eye level, just missing his head.

Izaak jerked slightly at the impact, Retribution still extended. Then he calmly lowered it and resolved not to fire at the daiwolf anymore.

Kaze, at another time, would have been equally aggravated at her seeming lack of progress. But the exhilaration and her determination impelled her onwards, never wavering. At one point she turned and ran straight up the inwardly curved surface of one of the great ribs on the perimeter. The acceleration kept her safely glued to the stone, and she made it to the tip, launched herself off, twisted and rocketed down towards her foe, swords brought together to be swung in a mighty blow on her enemy.

The impact as the daiwolf caught the twin blades on the back of his claws sent a small shockwave through the air, and Kaze hung for a moment, staring down into his calculating emerald eyes, straining, directing all her force into the blades. Then the daiwolf gave a knowing grin and flexed his claws outwards. A resounding _crack_ echoed through the arena.

Both Kaze's blades shattered, and she watched as if in slow motion, as the shards tumbled past her head, reflecting dazzling rainbows into her eyes. Then a larger piece caught her across the cheek and brought her back to reality. Time sped up and the jagged splinters flew outward. One spiked into the stone on the other side of Izaak's head and quivered there with a fading ring. He froze, and after a moment inwardly cursed his unlucky choice of vantage point.

Kaze was thrown backwards and tumbled along the ground a short ways before coming to rest – none too gently – against the pillar she had sprung off of. The hilts of her swords clattered to the ground, useless. She stumbled quickly to her feet, snarling.

The daiwolf smirked at her again, and his eyes slid over to glance at her friend. Kaze's eyes widened as she began to suspect his plan. He huffed once, in mocking laughter, eyes returning to her. His actions said, _Let's see how good you really are, shall we? _And he gracefully turned away, raised his arms, and sent a single large energy sphere hurtling toward Izaak.

With a startled yell, Izaak moved to duck out of the way, but the sphere was too fast and Kaze knew he wouldn't make it. A part of her recognized that this was eerily reminiscent of the stunt the daiwolf had pulled on their very first encounter, but Kaze feared that this time the results would be much worse.

Desperation lent speed to her legs, and even though they were separated by a great distance, in less than a blink of an eye she was _there_, shielding Izaak with her own body when the sphere hit. A deafening roar filled her ears and violent, uncontrolled energies ferociously sought to tear them apart. The world around them was reduced to raging blackness and dark lightning.

Kaze strained against it, the unconquerable wildness of her spirit willing it to cease. And somewhere, deep within, a dark power responded. Electric energy rushed through her veins, setting them on fire. With a savage snarl, she muscled her arms out, away from her, and flung them to the sides as if ripping open a curtain.

And just like that, the blackness fell apart, energy dissipating, and they emerged, whole and untouched. Kaze's eyes flared brightly due to the power inside.

_Well, I _am_ impressed. I did not believe you capable of calling up the shadow power from your blood._

Kaze did not feel like participating in a civil conversation, and without waiting for him to finish, she pushed her hands out in front of her and threw a powerful stream of destructive energy right back at him.

It caught him squarely and hurled him across the arena to the fallen tower, where he hit. The impact shook the structure and part of it collapsed on top of him in a cloud of dust. A few moments later it cleared, and the daiwolf struggled free of the debris, looking slightly banged up and clearly irked. He brushed the dirt from his fur and glared at her. _Hmph. Effective, perhaps, but crudely done. Your powers need refinement._

Izaak, once again left out of the loop, decided to take matters into his own hands. Running towards the werewolf at an angle, he started emptying his weapon into his target. Several of the shots hit this time, and the werewolf bared his teeth and roared in rage at the man, even as he moved to dodge. Kaze, though, had swiftly circled around the other side; from the top of the tower she descended upon him and plunged silver claws deep into his upper back.

A cross between a yelp and a roar escaped the beast, and he whirled, seeking to dislodge the weight and strike the offender. But Kaze clamped onto the back of his neck with her teeth and successfully held on.

A tad frantic, now, the daiwolf tensed and with a surge of magical force, flung Kaze, much of the surrounding debris, and the approaching Izaak away from him. With a neat acrobatic flip, Kaze touched down next to Izaak, who was already back on his feet. They faced off against the monster. The two demon-hunters could feel the rage and hatred emanating from him.

Then, as one, the three gathered their energies and fired them at opposing sides. A dense, crackling sphere raced towards the hunters, the void-like thing swallowing all light. Responding in kind, though not in form, the raging river of Kaze's own dark power surged to meet it. Joining hers was a thick, blinding current of electricity from Izaak, as he emptied the last of his magical reserves.

The result was predictable: a massive explosion as the conflicting powers met, random tides of energy, freed from their bounds, rushing outward to demolish anything in their path. The entire mountain bowl shook, rock cascading down the sides, and stone pillars collapsing. A dense cloud of dust settled over the arena.

Izaak, crouching low, slowly lowered the arms he had raised to shield his head. He strained to see anything through the mess, to make heads or tails of what was going on. He thought he heard something, like the impact of fist against flesh, and coughed as the dust got in his lungs.

Slowly, the air cleared. Izaak stood, still coughing, and aimed Retribution at the shadowy form in the center of the arena. Suddenly, a cold gust of wind blew the remaining dust away, and the scene was revealed.

The great werewolf stood, slightly bent over, a stricken look on his face, and eyes wide with shock. His claws clutched at the smaller figure in front of him: Kaze. She stood with her head bowed. Izaak's eyes traveled the length of her arm up…to where it plunged to the elbow into the monster's chest. Izaak blinked in surprise. _Oh. That was…unexpected._ He slowly lowered his gun, but kept a firm grip, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

Kaze raised her head and gazed once more at the daiwolf, a fierce look in her eyes. Then she twisted her arm savagely, ripped it out, and he crumpled to the side.

From where the daiwolf lay, he looked up at her, eyes strangely clear and bright. A dark red gradually stained his once pure white fur. He laughed, haltingly. _So this is what it takes…the Promised Land…I could never see…_He trailed off. _I am in your debt…for eternity._ His movements grew more slight, and Kaze, rage now drained away, knelt in front of him. _The black power in our blood now exists only within you. See that it remains so…and do not allow yourself to be blinded as I was._ She hesitated, then nodded. _Perhaps we will meet again, one day…on better terms._

He chuckled again. _Tell my faithful shadow that my spirit is free now. She need only to look for it…_He looked at Kaze. _In the wind._

With those last words, his breath stilled, and his eyes closed. And a strange thing happened. His body faded, becoming a thick, black shadow, resting on the ground before her. Then a bright white light burst out from its center, forcing Kaze to shield her eyes lest she be blinded. It spread throughout the shadow, driving away the blackness, taking on the appearance of pure light given form. A current of wind blew by them, picking up tendrils of the light, and it spiraled up into the air. A moment later, the light dissipated, and was gone. And that was the last of the great General…the Fallen One.

Kaze searched the skies for any remaining signs of his spirit. She saw nothing, and her eyes traveled slowly down to rest on the ridge of the bowl, where a giant white wolf stood. It inclined its head at her as if in greeting, or thanks. Kaze blinked. It was gone.

"Well, wasn't that somethin'?" Izaak said, approaching. "Are you alright?"

She looked down, considering, and spied a small object sparkling in the last rays of the sun. She reached down and picked it up. It was a smooth, deep green stone. Kaze stood, holding it up to the light. The beams shone through its flawless surface, causing it to glow. She lowered it, enclosing it in a fist, and turned to Izaak.

"Yeah," she replied, softly. "I'm glad it's finally over." A thought struck her and she looked around, ears twitching. "The others?" she asked, meaning the werewolves.

"Looong gone. Whoever was left beat the heck out of here, tails between their legs, after seeing what you did to _that_ one."

"Thank the Planet! I really didn't want to go through all _that_ again." The two slowly started back out of the arena, glancing back into the ruins.

"My sentiments exactly. …Hey, think we'll get paid extra?" He looked doubtful. "I already collected once."

"Sure. It's in the contract, remember? That poor town won't know what hit them."

Izaak brightened. "You're right!"

"Oh!" Kaze jerked to a halt. "My swords, Izaak…they're ruined!" She mournfully looked around at the slivers of light littering the ground. "They were the ones you gave me…"

"Bah." He moved to sling an arm around her shoulders, but gave up, seeing that she was too tall for him now. "No worries, kiddo. They aren't anything that can't easily be replaced. I'll get you some new ones."

"I guess…" With a last sigh she headed back toward the entrance.

Izaak paused. "Hey," jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "You wanna check this place out some more? Never seen anything like it."

Kaze turned with an appraising glance, eyes flicking over the ruins. "Yeah…but not now. That battle really took a lot out of me."

"Ugh. Nooo kiddin'." Izaak held up his hand and flexed his fingers. A few weak sparks danced between them. "Look at that!" He pointed. "Haven't got an ounce of magic left!" He turned an accusing glare on Kaze. "How could you let that happen to me?"

Kaze rolled her eyes as Izaak chuckled. Then, they cast one more look upon the desolate ruins around them, and, turning their backs, left them behind.

* * * * *

End Part II


	10. Epilogue

**Author's Note:** Wow, I certainly procrastinated on getting this part up. My apologies to all who were waiting! I think, for a while there, I wasn't sure whether to tack it on or not… The story could certainly end with the previous chapter, but this serves to tie up a few loose ends on a more lighthearted note, so take it as you will. And with this, _Storm Winds_ comes to its official close! I do, however, have another story about Kaze to put up here, so I will be working to revise that. In other news, I have been dabbling in some Final Fantasy VII fanfiction, so you may see some of that, in the relatively near future. ;) Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and stuck with me! You've given me encouragement that I didn't know I needed. :)

* * * * *

**Epilogue**

Suffice to say, the two demon-hunters did get paid, though after much arguing and demanding. And everyone went away immensely pleased with themselves, save, perhaps, the major of the town.

On their way out of town, the two friends ran into yet _another_ werewolf. This one, however, possessed a much more agreeable temperament than the others they had been acquainted with, and turned out to be the brother of the boy, Sean, who they had met in the village what seemed like an age ago, now.

The hunters dragged him back to the village and explained to the major, in no uncertain terms, that he was to be welcomed with open, _unarmed_, arms, and allowed to rejoin the community. They showed that he need not be furry all the time (in fact, he had now transformed back into a human), and with a little respect, could be a valuable and dependable member of the town. There would be none stronger, none faster, and he could easily protect everyone from any new menaces that dared showed up. The major grudgingly agreed, with growing enthusiasm (at gunpoint), and Sean, his brother, and his family, were joyously reunited.

No one knew, of course, of Kaze's predicament. They had vowed to keep that little bit of trivia secret. After all, the werewolf threat was gone, for good, and life could finally get back to normal.

* * * * *

The smoky scent of a campfire and sizzling bacon woke Kaze from her sleep.

"Mmm, I'm starved…that's not enough bacon, Izaak."

"Be quiet and let me cook. I'm doin' you a service. Here, take some."

…

"Hey…is that the last piece?"

"Maaaybe. Why? You don't want it, do ya?" He waved it under Kaze's nose.

_Chomp._

"_Ouch!_ You _bit_ me! I can't believe it! You…you actually bit me!"

"That's what you get. Jerk."

He waved his hand dramatically through the air. "Now I'm doomed! I'll be a werewolf, just like you! The agony!"

"Oh, quit being a wimp, Izaak. I didn't even break the skin; you're fine."

Holding his hand still, and ignoring her completely, he examined the finger. "Does this look infected to you?"

…

"_Owww!_ Jeez, did ya hafta hit so _hard_??"

* * * * *

**End**


End file.
